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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26460868">Red-Nose and Long-Nose Are(n't) Enemies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlyFrat_Boy/pseuds/FriendlyFrat_Boy'>FriendlyFrat_Boy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Usopp X Anybody (he needs it) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>One Piece</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Basically Roger and Garp but Buggy and Usopp, Bromance, Buggy will become kind of the pirates, Crushes, Don't ask me where the hell I got this from, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, I swear it on my life, M/M, Marine Usopp, No Smut, Pining, Rare Pairings, Rival Relationship, Rivalry, Slow Burn, actually kind of serious, becoming true forces in the world of One Piece, but also really not, but still being goofball idiots who don't know shit, ignore all the possible canon stuff, marine AU, or unique?, part of this fic is seriously just seeing Buggy and Usopp, somewhat follows the canon, the demons whispered to me and I shouted this back at them, we don't do that here - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:48:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>35,444</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26460868</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendlyFrat_Boy/pseuds/FriendlyFrat_Boy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Buggy hadn't expected his journey to becoming King of the Pirates would be pestered by a marine rookie from the weakest sea. </p><p>Then again, neither had he expected to conquer East Blue so easily, and neither had he expected fishmen to ever join his crew. But back on the Grand Line, that didn't matter. </p><p>It was all too similar to all those years ago when Garp the Fist had chased his old captain. </p><p>----</p><p>Usopp, for his own part, could hardly believe he'd ever wanted to be a pirate. With scum like Buggy the Pirate roaming the Blues, nobody can ever be truly safe! If capturing that evil pirate('s heart) meant chasing him through the Grand Line all the way to Raftel, so be it. </p><p>He'd get as strong as he needed to do it, too. </p><p>//</p><p>Yeah. Have you ever seen a Buggy/Usopp fic, or as I formally dub it, a Busopp fic? Neither had I. So, here it is! If you won't read it for the (eventual) romance, read it for the Usopp-marine-AU, yeah? Also, this will actually have somewhat of a story, so no worries there, it isn't just a collection of drabbles. </p><p>Enjoy!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Usopp &amp; Buggy, Usopp/Buggy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Usopp X Anybody (he needs it) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1923634</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The First Meeting: East Blue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/satan/gifts">satan</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Nobody stopped me. I made this, wrote the first chapter and planned the rest, and not a single version of myself from the future came back to stop me. No divine fire has smitten me, nor has a mob gathered outside my house.</p><p>Yup, nothing can stop me now.</p><p>For the sake of my sanity, Usopp's rank in this chapter is: Master Chief Petty Officer (13'th Highest)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Conquering the East Blue had been way easier than Buggy the Clown ever expected. </p><p>Maybe he should thank his navigator for pulling him into a race war over a tiny unimportant island? After all, when all was said and done, he did get to absorb all those captain-less fishmen into his own crew, so it all worked out in the end. Somehow, purely by chance, he figured, everything past that worked in his favour. </p><p>All things considered, his current status as “Ruler of the East Blue” wasn’t bad. He could live with that. Terrorizing Orange Town was fun, but this is just as great. As long as the marines didn’t catch wind of his secret reign, he was probably fine.</p><p>...Man, if that Arlong guy hadn’t thought he could swallow a Buggy Ball (patent pending), he might have croaked right then and there.</p><p>Whatever! If that bastard wanted to die, sure! What did Buggy care? He was master of (one of the four) seas! </p><p>It was in this state of mind, relaxing as any true ruler should, that one of Funan Bros approached him, wringing his hands uncertainly. “-Um, Buggy-sama?” </p><p>Buggy waited a few moments before answering, moving his body to sit upright in his throne on the middle of the deck (none of these greenhorns knew what Emperor he was imitating). He leaned his upper body, letting his impressive cape shift, and peeked one eye open. “-What is it?”</p><p>Before him stood the circus-themed pirate, confused and uncertain over something Buggy didn’t really care for. Unless a high-ranked marine showed up, or Shanks came to visit, Buggy seriously didn’t care. </p><p>“There’s a marine vessel approaching, Buggy-sama, and we’re not sure-,”</p><p>Buggy’s eyes flared open. “-M-, marines?” He really tried to keep the panic out of his voice, but it was hard. If there was one thing that scared him more than high-ranked marines and the ghosts of the past, it was marines. He cleared his throat, avoiding the gaze of his confused subordinate. “State the matters. What kind of vessel?”</p><p>The Funan Bro scratched his neck, “um, it might be better you took a look yourself, sir.”</p><p>Buggy was about to bark something at his uncooperative underling when the man in question thrust a pair of binoculars into his gloved hands, pointing out over the seas. The implication was obvious, and Buggy could do nothing but scowl and stand up, peering out over the waters at whatever had been noticed. </p><p>It was a marine ship alright. But it was kinda… small?</p><p>Barely the size of a regular ship, it seemed more like a leisure caravan than anything the marines would ever approve of. It was painted alright, but with that sheep figurehead, Buggy just couldn’t take it seriously. It looked like the kind of ship a kid dreaming of becoming a marine would come up with. </p><p>Squinting harder, Buggy was allowed a bit of an insight, namely a look at the captain of the ship.</p><p>Young, barely of age. Wearing that stupid marine-cap and a stupid pair of blue overalls and a stupid grin. Short sleeves, one of those blue weird ties that isn’t a tie… Still, compared to the few other members aboard, he seemed to be the most mature one. In other words, this person was ranked higher than the others, but on a ship like that, he might as well be a Chief Petty Officer. </p><p>A small fish in an even smaller pond. </p><p>“-You forced me to stand to look at THIS?” Buggy asked, genuinely perplexed by the actions of his subordinate. He’d thought them a bit more clever than this, but what can you expect from a man who willingly dressed up as an acrobat to roam the seas?</p><p>The man gulped. “Well, uh, sir, the newest recruits-” he must have meant those former marines from that marine base they’d raided, “-they wanted to see the so-revered Buggy-sama in action, and-,”</p><p>“-FOOL!!” Buggy sneakily dislodged two fingers to make his cape billow threateningly, “the king doesn’t fight where a pawn could clear the table! Tell them to prepare for battle instead!”</p><p>Although Buggy could take a fight if he was thrown into one, he’d rather leave his crew to do most of the work. He was kind of lazy like that, but that’s life.</p><p>The man stumbled back, proving that Buggy’s threatening had actually worked. “S-, sorry sir, but-,”</p><p>“-BUT.” Another man stepped out from the shade of the mast, having observed the situation long enough. One hand gripping the axe merged with his other arm, he let his gaze fall on<br/>
his new captain. “-If you do not prove your might, I will not follow you.” A dangerous glint shot through his sharp eyes. “As a matter of fact, I might just try and take your position for myself.”</p><p>Great, one of the newbies was of the rebellious sort. Just what he needed. Buggy clicked his tongue. Well, as they say, nip it in the bud. If you can’t turn a man to your side by saving him, just prove you’re too far above them for them to be rebellious.</p><p>...Oh well. Guess he’ll make an example out of these small-timers. Who the hell let them out on the seas unchecked anyways? Buggy might have felt a bit bad for them if he wasn’t about to pound them into the dust using overwhelming force.</p><p>“...Get us closer to that damn caravan,” Buggy growled. The Funan Bro nodded and ran off to complete the order. </p><p>For some reason, Buggy couldn’t bring himself to grin facing the soon-to-be destruction of marine property.</p><p>For some reason.</p><p>------</p><p>This was great. Sure, Usopp had made a point of telling the most outlandish stories about the world, but when all was said and done, he was happy right here in his home sea. </p><p>Not that he could go anywhere else if he wanted to. When it came to joining the marines, there was a big difference between being marine material and officer material. Usopp considered himself lucky just to be a Master Chief Petty Officer. He’d worked for that title for two long years, ever since a passing marine vessel saved him from true, actual pirates, but even then, he knew he didn’t have the constitution to get any further. </p><p>He was happy right here, right here on the Going Merry, right here with the former Usopp pirates. Heh. To think he’d once wanted to be a pirate. Like his father.</p><p>Usopp’s grip on the railing tightened. Yeah, right. Maybe it was best he kept to these small waters. Kept away from the grand line. From all those big fish that could swallow him in one gulp. But he couldn’t stay away from small-timer pirates. No, it was his duty as captain of this ship to make sure the reports of missing ships and conquered islands were true, and he had now noticed the ship of a notorious local pirate. </p><p>Buggy the Clown. Usopp only recognized the man himself from the big, giant, colossal red nose stuck smack-dab in the middle of his face like a misplaced juggling ball. </p><p>The man himself stood atop the railing of his impressive ship, legs wide and arms crossed. Did he want to talk or something? Going by the way he was staring Usopp straight in the eye, he sure did seem like he wanted to say something. An audience with a pirate. Could Usopp wish for anything worse?</p><p>“Cap’, should we do something?” one of Usopp’s dozen or so recruits asked. Usopp turned to him and shook his head. No, something here was up, and he would rather not shoot a canon in the face of someone who might be willing to surrender. </p><p>A man dressed up as a mime suddenly appeared on the deck of the pirate ship, standing beside Buggy with a megaphone in hand. </p><p>“-HARK!” a voice rang out over the seas, loud enough to reach the Going Merry and even beyond, “you are in the presence of the great, all-mighty, immortal Buggy the Clown!”</p><p>That was one way to say it. The man himself nodded at being referred to so grandly.</p><p>And then Buggy grabbed the megaphone. He poked it a few times, letting white noise explode out of the speaker, and then put it to his face. “Ah-, yeah. That’s me! Bow or be destroyed!”</p><p>Usopp stared at him for a few moments and turned to his seaman college. “-Grab me the megaphone.”</p><p>The clown captain handed the megaphone back to the mime. “Be joyous to hear his voice! Be joyous to know you are to be allowed an audience with the fantasmical Buggy-sama, of the one-on-all-of-youse variety! Winner takes all, loser has to fall!”</p><p>That stopped Usopp in his tracks. He slowly accepted the megaphone from his subordinate and turned to the circus-themed pirate ship. “Sorry, we don’t negotiate with terrorists.” Ka-chk, Usopp turned the megaphone back off. </p><p>“Y-, you!” Usopp could hear Buggy sputter indigenously all the way from his ship before robbing his mime of his megaphone. “You listen up here, buster! I’m doing you a kindness just by not blowing you into the New World with one of my yet-to-be-patented Buggy Balls!”</p><p>He was right, sort of. In a weird way, Usopp was happy they hadn’t just gotten onto the fighting straight off the bat. Usopp was perfectly happy just talking it out. Two years of marine training aside, fighting still wasn’t his strong suit, though he didn’t exactly have any other strong suits to speak of… Except for his charms, that is. </p><p>“What, uh, what exactly do you want, then?” </p><p>“Are you deaf or daft or both?!” Buggy roared into the megaphone, forcing it to sputter out some static not-noises that made Usopp’s ears ring. “We’ll have a duel! I’ll fight all of you, and you’ll fight all of just me! How can this possibly be a bad thing for you?!”</p><p>He brought up a fair point. The most common sort of fight between marines and pirates were the crew vs crew variety, which often resulted in a great loss of men on both sides. It wasn’t often that an all-out flight was a possibility, and even if it was, it didn’t reflect well on the marines as a whole. That was off the table. </p><p>All of Usopp’s forces against just Buggy… he could do that. “Yeah, okay, sure.”</p><p>“Y-, you-, that’s it? No bartering for your souls?! You are fools to think you’ll survive! I’ll mop the deck with you! I’ll grab the lot of you, stick you in a swashbuckle, and I’ll-,”</p><p>Usopp poked the megaphone much like Buggy had mere minutes ago and brought it back up to his face. “No take-backsies?” The obvious here went unsaid. Usopp knew his own limits and the limits of his small crew and small ship. He wasn’t a fool, he knew from just a look at Buggy’s overwhelmingly large ship that the Going Merry could be sunk in a jiffy. It was a miracle they weren’t dead yet, and getting a chance like this is…</p><p>Usopp swallowed his fears and doubts. He wasn’t one for fighting, he didn’t have the constitution. But he was stronger than his men, and they had to live. </p><p>“Of course there’ll be no take-backsies! If I lose, which I won’t, you’ll be free to go! We won’t attack, will we, boys?”</p><p>“””YEAH!!””” </p><p>“Alright! Hoist down the Monkey!” With that rallying cry, a small rowboat painted like a monkey was let down into the calm waters, with Buggy himself following closely behind, hopping into it without any of his underlings following along. Apparently, the pirate would be staying true to his promise. Maybe. </p><p>Hopefully. </p><p>Somehow, the boat rowed itself through means Usopp couldn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. Soon enough, the little boat containing the imposing captain had docked beside the Going Merry, and everything felt very odd. For some reason, Usopp couldn’t bring himself to fear the dread-captain. He felt… oddly calm, really, despite the upcoming battle. </p><p>“Do you want us to throw down a ladder or-,” and then, with that starting shot, Buggy was off. </p><p>Forget a rope ladder, he flew out of the little rowboat without any sort of help whatsoever! One might have been tempted to think he was being carried by strings, soaring into the air with his arms and legs spread wide, but going by his flexibility, such a thing was impossible.</p><p>“Watch this, hayseed!” Buggy mocked, materializing two-thirds of a dozen throwing knives into his hands, a sneer thrown on his face for good measure. </p><p>Usopp cursed at his folly. “Draw your weapons! We’ve got a DF!” Usopp himself grabbed his trusty slingshot. Even though his superiors and governing officers had all told him to use a real gun, whenever possible, he still went for the slingshot instead. It had better flexibility in a fight, and it reminded him of his resolve. </p><p>“YESSIR!” his subordinates called out, most drawing swords while others went for their firearms. </p><p>It turned out quite quickly that Buggy was entirely immune to any sort of cutting, and if he could see the gun fired at him, he could easily dodge it. Usopp’s group of greenhorns couldn’t handle it in the least. The worst off got a knife thrown in a random limb, and the less-badly-off got a finger in their eye or just outright got slugged in the face. He was a flurry of limbs and knives, and Usopp was captivated. His hands trembled, but he didn’t know why. He’d been in battle before. He’d seen a Devil Fruit user and what they could do. This wasn’t anything new, so…</p><p>Why did he feel so weird? That competitive grin on Buggy’s face, showing off his peerless confidence and experience. </p><p>A man with an unparalleled body and the wit to use it. </p><p>It set Usopp’s heart ablaze. </p><p>A knife whizzed past his face and Usopp was brought back to the here and now. Buggy sneered at him triumphantly, his red-and-blue make-up twisting along the ridges of his features. Beneath him, all of Usopp’s forces laid battered and bloody. Their wounds weren’t enough to kill them, it almost seemed like he’d avoided hitting their vitals, but… </p><p>Usopp didn’t look at them. To his shame, to his revulsion, his entire attention laid on Buggy himself. </p><p>“Well? Do you accept defeat?” he jeered, juggling a knife in one hand. </p><p>Usopp drew his lips tight, hoping Buggy wouldn’t notice the flush overtaking his cheeks. “Only in death.” </p><p>This battle, this battle between them where Usopp’s smouldering heart grew despairing and roared, this battle was short. It was a battle of captains, but Usopp felt more like an ant being trampled by an elephant. Soundly defeated, open wounds scattered his trembling body. He fell to his knees, the shadow of his blood-stained cap falling over his face. He felt hot inside. Hot in the head, hot in the heart. His chest was a furnace of all the wrong flames, forging a weapon of disdain. </p><p>A knife found its way beneath his chin, the tip of it almost slitting his throat open. But it didn’t. Instead, his head was raised, chin tilted, banishing the shade of his cap. He looked up, and there stood Buggy. </p><p>Somehow, he didn’t seem happy. His cape, draped so gingerly over his shoulders, seemed forlorn where it billowed. Unhappy in the pride it presented. </p><p>“...Do you accept defeat?” Buggy repeated, his voice soft. Usopp blinked slowly. His eyes moved, turning from the pirate and onto his defeated crew. They were alive for now, but that might not last forever. </p><p>He looked back to Buggy. “-Yes,” he croaked. “I accept defeat.”</p><p>Buggy hesitated for a moment. Neither side moved.</p><p>Then, Buggy removed the knife from beneath Usopp’s chin, grabbed the megaphone off of the floor, and climbed atop the railing. “-They admit defeat!!”</p><p>From the other ship, a chorus of “yeah!” and “whoo!” rung out, excited roars after witnessing the curb-stomp of the century. “Kill them!” someone called out, louder than the rest, “leave no survivors!”</p><p>Buggy’s grin faltered for a moment. He cast a quick glance at Usopp, his eyes softening immensely, and then he turned back to the group. A beat passed. “-Let’s tie them up and leave their pride in shambles!”</p><p>Silence. On Buggy’s ship, his crew exchanged glances, confusion laying a wet blanket over the whole party. Until…</p><p>”””-YEAH!!!!””” </p><p>Apparently, the mere idea of sending a personal letter to the marines, one stating that these people were so far below them that they didn’t even deserve death, was enough to excite the crowd once more. </p><p>Usopp didn’t witness what happened between his being tied to the mast of the Merry and waking up in the infirmary of a larger marine ship. </p><p>All he knew when he woke up was that he had been defeated. </p><p>His heart ached weirdly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Second Meeting: Logue Town</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Two drunks guys become friends but then it turns out they're mortal enemies</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>How has nobody stopped me yet??? LOOK AT WHAT I'M DOING! IT'S SIN! IT'S EVIL!!</p><p>Okay so anyways for the sake of my sanity Usopp's rank in this chapter is: Ensign (11'th highest)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>East Blue might have been a tad bit bigger than Buggy initially assumed. Even so, spurred on by his overexcited crewmembers, now including such characters as Alvida and a few straggler pirates of the Kreig crew. Hell, he’d even had to get a pair of new ships to get everyone aboard! </p><p>It was a bother by this point. Even worse, now they were starting to ask that he should conquer more parts of the seas! Specifically…</p><p>“I am not going into the Grand Line. Forget it!” Buggy told Gin, who acted as spokesman for the entirety of the Third Fleet. </p><p>“Buggy, there-,”</p><p>“That’s Buggy-sama to you, buster.”</p><p>Gin cleared his throat. “Buggy-sama, there is unrest among the members. There is no dwindling respect for you, they merely wish to see the full extent of your prowess.” Buggy actively withheld a cackle at the mere idea that they would revolt against him. Those sods wouldn’t tell a thing to his face, not that they were smart enough to see a fault in him if they so tried. This guy, on the other hand… Too clever for his own good. “-You needn’t bring the whole fleet, Buggy-sama, merely a fraction of the strongest.”</p><p>Buggy almost jolted out of his throne. “-Not bring the whole fleet?! Why, you-, you expect I - the great BUGGY-SAMA - to enter Paradise with a mere fraction of my full strength!?”</p><p>Gin threw up his hands, quickly surrendering any such ideas. “No, of course not. Were you to bring the entire fleet…” Gin looked out over the three ships docked next to each other, a rare intervention of the entire fleet, “-you would surely conquer it as easily as you conquered East Blue.”</p><p>Buggy nodded sagely, feeling an arrogant grin surface on his lips. </p><p>“Thus, to test your true strength, impress your followers… why not bring only one ship, and leave the other two here, to keep an eye on your sieged territory?”</p><p>It… wasn’t a bad idea. If these last months were anything to go by, he seemed to have a knack for attracting oddballs willing to join him. Who knew, maybe he could do the same thing in the Grand Line after all? Maybe he wouldn’t almost die this time?</p><p>“...Inform Alvida and Chuu that there’s been a change in plans.” </p><p>Gin nodded and ran off. </p><p>But before they entered the Grand Line, they’d need to do a quick stop at Logue Town. </p><p>---------------</p><p>Four months. That’s how long Usopp had been staying at Logue Town. </p><p>That event had haunted him ever since. Even more so, the man who embarrassed him. He haunted his dreams, a whirlwind of limbs and knives and soft glances that made Usopp’s spine tingle. It was clear he couldn’t continue what he’d been doing. These small waters… Buggy conquered more land every day, but Usopp wasn’t worried. He knew Buggy would come for the crown some day, and when that day came, Usopp would be there, and he would take him down. </p><p>He was sure of it. </p><p>The first few weeks of his stay at Logue Town had been spent mostly just getting up to speed, keeping an eye on the pier, steeling his heart… For some reason, the higher-ups had placed him with Captain Smoker, alongside his Ensign Tashigi. That was alright. Usopp hadn’t planned on training much, but after his rank rose to Warrant Officer, two months into his stay, he realized this might just work out alright. </p><p>He trained, he let Smoker guide him, he (unwillingly) trained close-quarters combat with Tashigi, and when Smoker sent in a request to have his rank increased to Ensign, he could barely even believe it. </p><p>Even stranger…</p><p>“They accepted??” Usopp sputtered, his salute faltering. Smoker didn’t seem to notice, and simply pushed an enclosed envelope in Usopp's direction. At the clear implication, Usopp released his salute fully and tip-toed over to the wooden desk. He grasped the yellow envelope in trembling hands, feeling the coarse material under his fingertips. “Y-, you’re certain?...”</p><p>Smoker scoffed, but his smile was warm. “Can’t know for sure, kid.” His voice was gruff but soothing. Usopp gulped and flicked open the envelope, removed the paper inside, and let his eyes trail over them. </p><p>He cast a glance at Tashigi, who had joined them in the office for the occasion. She smiled. “Don’t worry Usopp, I’m sure they’d never disapprove after knowing how hard you’ve worked!” She seemed optimistic enough, but somehow, Usopp couldn’t help but feel the very opposite. He didn’t feel much stronger than when Buggy defeated him, so there was no way this was actually happening. </p><p>...Still, he had to affirm his suspicions. The paper weighed heavy in his hands. He looked back at it. </p><p>In the bottom right corner was that classic insignia, proving that this was official. The blank space provided had been signed by none other than Vice-Admiral Con D. Oriano, and Usopp felt somewhat awestruck just to hold the same paper such a legendary figure had signed. His gaze trailed over the paper. Most of it was mindless mumbo-jumbo, the kind that bored Usopp to death just to look at, but down at the end…</p><p>“Request for the promotion of Warrant Officer Usopp into Ensign… Approved!!” Usopp gleefully recited, a grin blossoming as he read the final part. “I-, I’m an Ensign!” </p><p>Tashigi squealed something incomprehensible and threw her arms around Usopp, grinning as if she herself had just been promoted. The words he’d just spoken lingered on his lips, and he couldn’t help but mumble them over and over while Tashigi excitedly hopped around him like a rabbit given a carrot. </p><p>“Ensign, ensign, ensign…” while he mumbled that like a deranged lunatic, he felt a large hand settle on his shoulder. He glanced up. </p><p>Smoker met his eyes with a proud grin and a thumbs-up. </p><p>Tashigi grabbed his hands, and Usopp ripped his eyes off of the older marine. “We’re gonna celebrate!”</p><p>“C-, celebrate-?” </p><p>“Yeah! There’s this pub downtown I’m sure you’ll love!” Tashigi said, skipping from one foot to another. </p><p>“No, wait, um, I don’t drink?” Usopp said, only to be met with a frown. “-I’m only… wait, let me see… I’m only 19! I can technically drink but I don’t feel adult enough to!”</p><p>Tashigi pouted, puffing up her cheeks. “You’re an Esign now! If you don’t drink, I’ll be real mad!” </p><p>Can’t argue with that logic. “Uh, um, okay, but… but only one drink!” </p><p>Tashigi grinned, probably because she knew anybody who said they’d “only drink one” always drank fifteen more than the rest. “Will you be coming along, Captain Smoker?” The man in question seemed perfectly content just to watch his younger collegues bicker, but at the mention of his name, he turned to her, flashing a sad smile. </p><p>“Got paperwork to complete. Bastards up top wouldn’t let me skip out on writing a full report on the damage to marine property the other week,” Smoker growled, biting down on his two cigarrs. He seemed genuinely disgruntled about not being able to attend the party. Had Usopp not known the man rather well, at this point having come to view him as something of an uncle, he might have been surprised at how the otherwise professional man would like to attend such a celebration. Now…</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay! The next time I get promoted, we’ll party all night long!” Usopp reassured, although he personally doubted he would ever be promoted again.</p><p>Smoker’s lips actually curled upwards at the idea, proving that Usopp’s lie(?) had worked surprisingly well. “Yeah, sure, kid. You’ll get far.”</p><p>Usopp didn’t have time to mull over the meaning of Smoker’s words before he was dragged out into the streets, presumably to party.</p><p>-----</p><p>The time was, oh, 24? 00? Midnight. Usopp lost track of time after his first beer.</p><p>It went down very, very badly. But on request of Tashigi and a dozen or so marines, he just had to have another one. And another one. And by the sixth one, they actually tasted rather okay. Around 22:00 or so, the other marines started dozing off or heading home, and by the end of it, only Usopp remained in the actually-quite-nice bar. </p><p>He sipped a juice he’d ordered and tried to smile. He felt like he should be way happier than he was. </p><p>Ensign. That wasn’t anything little. That meant he could wear one of those oversized justice coats. That meant he was officially no longer a pawn to be used. Smoker said he should be able to get his coat within a few days or so. Still, his thoughts lingered elsewhere. On his reason for choosing to be stationed out here to begin with. </p><p>Buggy. </p><p>Usopp let his eyes fall on the back of a lone man sitting by the bar. Yeah, like that guy. He’d wear a billowing, impressive cape just like that one. Big, crown-like captain’s hat, mismatched oddly coloured clothes, broad, imposing back, rugged chin, dreamy eyes…</p><p>Usopp violently shook his head, an angry flush covering up his tender blush. Fuck no, fuck that, he wasn’t thinking any rebellious thoughts like that, oh no he wasn’t!</p><p>He’d sooner die than think of a pirate in-, in that way!</p><p>...Then again, that guy sitting there did look sort of familiar…</p><p>Usopp squinted. It was hard to see through his alcohol-induced fog, but… Was that a tuft of blue hair he saw?...</p><p>No way. No. Fucking. Way. </p><p>“Hey, barkeep, bring me, uhhh, bring me one of those flaming drinks will ya?” the man said, and… yup. That was the voice. The voice that had tormented Usopp for four months. The voice that mocked him and jeered at him and told him things he didn’t want to hear. </p><p>There was a buzz in his head, and he reached for his bag. Knives, slingshot, ammunition…</p><p>He felt the wooden thing in his grip. Maybe the alcohol was getting to him, but… he didn’t call for help. Didn’t even think to draw his weapon or a knife. No, instead, he pulled out a certain oddly-made mask. He hadn’t really thought much about it when he made it, but… here it was.</p><p>Yellow in colour with three sunray-like extensions. A hole in the middle of the face to fit his nose. </p><p>He slipped on the mask, rose, and went over and sat down beside Buggy. </p><p>-------</p><p>Buggy already regretted docking here. To say nothing of his eccentric crew suggesting they subjectuate the mild-mannered town, the booze wasn’t even that good!</p><p>Take this flaming little drink for example. The second Buggy brought it to his lips, it burnt his nose! Buggy cursed and slammed the drink on the bar, scowling as he rubbed his charred nose. “Bastard drink burning my face off, I’ll make you squeal, barkeep!”</p><p>As he tried to threaten the bartender who knew for a fact the upset captain had drunk way too much to be able to fulfill his threat, someone sat down next to him. </p><p>A puff of air crossed the bar, blowing out the little fire on Buggy’s drink. “Hey, buste-,”</p><p>“You’re supposed to blow it out before you drink it, duh,” the man said slowly (obviously drunk off his ass, what an idiot, heh), and Buggy only now noticed that the man in question was wearing a mask. A damn mask. In a bar. And it didn’t have a hole for the mouth. Just one for his nose. His very long nose. Very long, somewhat familiar nose…</p><p>“Say, don’t I know you?...” Buggy asked, squinting at the masked man who squirmed on his stool. </p><p>The man coughed into his hand. “Uhm, no, no, I’m-, my name is…” the man paused, thinking hard in his drunk state, “-Sogeking! King of the snipers! That’s me, hagagagaga!”</p><p>Hmmm… Buggy scratched his stubbled chin. Yeaup. Sogeking was a pretty appropriate name. “Yeah, okay, makes sense to me.” Buggy idly took a sip of his drink, and… it was pretty good! As it turned out, with the flames removed, he was actually able to drink it alright! “Hey, uhh… Thanks for the drink,” he flashed Sogeking a smile, “the name’s Buggy, and don’t you forget it!”</p><p>Sogeking gave a pause. “-Just Buggy?”</p><p>“Hm? Uhh, yeah. Just Buggy. That a problem?”</p><p>“Oh, no, no! I-, I just, uhhh… What was I thinking? Hold on, my mind’s all fuzzy… Yeah, okay, I’ll call you Buggy, and you’ll call me Usopp. Yup. Two pals hanging out,” Sogeking said, gesturing broadly, a clear sign that he, too, had drunk just a few too many drinks. Wait. Did he say his name was Usopp? </p><p>“Cool with me Usopp, buddy ol’ pal! But, y’know what I thinksies? I think you need to have a drink,” Buggy said, grinning broadly. Somehow, despite his white make-up, a red blush was apparent. “See, I gots this here drink, and it was pretty tasty, and since you were so kind as to let me have a tasty of it, without burning my face off, I think you deserve a taste.”</p><p>Usopp threw up his hands defensively. “Uh, no thank you, I can’t drink, I’m only twelve!”</p><p>Buggy squinted, blinking slowly. “BWAHAHAHAHHAHA!! You silly silly silly man, you are just-,” Buggy snorted, folding over to pound his fist on the table, “-what a riot! Usopp, my man my boy my brother, you are just-,” And then, without any warning, Buggy grabbed a hold of the drink and shoved it in Usopp’s face, into the nose-hole and down his face. “Drink, drink, drink! It’s on the Buggy house!”</p><p>Usopp sputtered, trying fruitlessly to fight against the pirate captain to no avail. The harsh alcohol easily found its way down his face and into his mouth, giving him no choice but to drink. </p><p>“Drink, drink, drink! Shanks could drink like a horse and I can drink just as much!” And then, suddenly, Buggy stopped in his tracks, the mention of his brother-in-arms bringing something out of him. Tears collected in the corners of his eyes. “He-, we went our separate ways, and… and we haven’t seen each other for so long, but, but…!”</p><p>Usopp coughed and tried fruitlessly to clean the alcohol off of his mask, but seeing Buggy become so emotional at the mention of one of the four emperors… Usopp gazed sympathetically at the captain.</p><p>“That-, that… That BASTARD!!! How dare he become an emperor while I grovel in the dirt?!? It ain’t fair, it just ain’t!” Buggy cried, throwing his arms in the air. Whether this was in rage or misery, no one but he could tell. “Here I am, apprentice of Roger, and I’ve gotta rile myself up to enter the Grand Line?? God, I’m pathetic!”</p><p>With that, Buggy threw himself at the bar, draping his body over it. </p><p>A sob rose through his alcohol-burnt throat, but it was one of rage over the injustice he had faced. A hand fell on his shoulder. He gazed over at Usopp. “Hey, hey, don’t worry about it! You’re the great Captain Buggy-sama! Nobody’s gonna do nuthin’ to ya!”</p><p>Buggy smiled. And then, with all the conviction of a man unmasking his saviour, he ripped the mask off of Usopp.</p><p>His face was still soaked in alcohol, although the area around his mouth had been cleaned. Large, innocent eyes peered back at him, wide and surprised and fond. A deep blush covered the majority of his face, but somehow, in his drunken stupor, Buggy could tell some of it had nothing to do with alcohol. “Uh, um.”</p><p>Wait. He recognized that face. That dopey-ass face that asked for an ass-kicking to the ass. </p><p>“Y-, you! Hayseed!” Buggy sputtered, recoiling from the younger man with such force that the barstool he sat at tipped over, sending him flying to the floor where he clattered into a heap of unmade capes and tilted hats. </p><p>“Eh? You alright, Buggy?” Usopp asked innocently, reaching out his hand to pull the pirate to his feet. Buggy slapped it away.</p><p>“You-, I-, what-, traitor!” Buggy stammered, unable to keep his thoughts in one place. “You’re a marine, aincha!? Didja try ‘n fool me into, uhh… wait, what was I… fool me into liking you or something?!” Buggy pointed a gloved, accusing finger at the confused Ensign as if the too-drunk man was supposed to understand what the hell he was saying.</p><p>Usopp frowned. “Um, uhh, did you hit your head? I’m…” a lightbulb went off in his head, “I’m not some marine! I’m Sogeking, King of Snipers!”</p><p>“I, uh…” Buggy scratched his chin, “yeah, but you’re still a marine!” </p><p>Squinting, Usopp let the words tumble through his head, savouring them long enough to understand that his cover had been blown. “-Shoot!”</p><p>Buggy hopped to his feet, drawing… well, he hadn’t brought his knives, so he didn’t have any weapons. But, he DID draw his fists! “En garde, dummy stupid idiot!”</p><p>Usopp sputtered. “Hey! That’s mean! I’m calling the cops!”</p><p>“The cops, eh? The cops… the cops?!” Buggy realized all of a sudden that although he could easily take Usopp in a fight, battling all the marines on the island just wasn’t a very strategic move. “Aw heck no!”</p><p>And with that rallying cry, Buggy tossed himself out of the door and into the darkened streets. </p><p>“Hey! Wait up!” </p><p>Buggy didn’t really listen to Usopp, instead choosing to run through the streets of the nightly district, shouting for any and all members of the Buggy pirates to prepare for flight. All through his nightly jog, he could hear Usopp pacing after him, calling for him to stop and face the consequences of his actions. Buggy did not, as a matter of fact, stop. If anything, he ran faster. </p><p>Half an hour later and Buggy was back by the pier where his crew and ship stood parked. “Raise the anchor, fucking pieces of shit!”</p><p>What few people were awake at this time instantly got to work, preparing to sail out even though the moon was high.</p><p>“H-, hey! You-, stop! Buggy, figGHT ME!” Usopp roared, raising his fists for the occasion. Buggy eyed the marine without any actual fear. He knew he could take him (probably) but he just… he didn’t feel like it, okay? Not that he wasn’t used to fighting people he also had drinks with and cried with, he just… He didn’t want to fight a drunkard. Yeah, that’s it. </p><p>“STOP FOLLOWING ME, GREENHORN!!” That little statement earned him a rock to the back of the head. “Ohhhh, you asked for it!!”</p><p>That was enough for Buggy to do a total 180. The pirate and marine faced off in front of the Big Top, with Buggy’s crew cheering on. Unlike what Buggy has expected, this fight was not of the one-sided variety. No, it was actually quite equal, with Usopp and him trading blows and spitting insults on equal ground. It might have been the alcohol burning their insides, but the whole fight felt like a flurry of activity. </p><p>Still, in the end, the one defeated was none other than Usopp. “YEAAAAAAHHH!!” Buggy exclaimed, fists raised high in the air and foot placed squarely on Usopp’s back. That’s what you get for challenging the mighty Buggy-sama! </p><p>“Grrrr, you cheated!” Usopp growled through gritted teeth.</p><p>Buggy smiled triumphantly. “Nuh-uh, pirates can’t cheat!”</p><p>Usopp’s eyes flared open in realization. “You’re right,” he gasped, “pirates can’t cheat!” He gritted his teeth at the realization. “No fair!”</p><p>“Totally fair. Pirates are better than marines, so it’s only right we get to cheat!” </p><p>Usopp sputtered. “Are NOT!”</p><p>“Are too. And I won, so it’s proven!”</p><p>Usopp ground his molars. “...I’ll catch you. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll catch you, and bring you to Impel Down and then you won’t be able to cheat anymore!”</p><p>“Just you try it!” Buggy said. “If you CAN!”</p><p>A challange. The hidden intent was clear. “Come catch me”. Usopp grinned from where he laid, defeated and battered. “I will!” </p><p>It was a promise.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Third Meeting: Alabasta Pt.1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I originally meant for it to be one chapter, but after I got to 9 pages I realized it might be too long for that. </p><p>For you poor sods who actually read this far... enjoy! And please comment! I need to know I'm not alone in my sufferage</p><p>For the sake of my own sanity, Usopp's rank in this two-part chapter is: Lieutenant (9th highest)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What a JERK!” Usopp roared, slamming his empty mug on the wooden deck. </p><p>Tashigi nodded, sipping her ale. “Yup, yup, total bastard.” By now, she knew better than anybody that when Usopp started ranting and raving about Buggy, there was nothing you could do but nod and say yes. “He should’a kidnapped you or something.”</p><p>“-Yeah! Like, come on! He had an Ensign at his feet, and he just let me go?? Idiot! Idiot booger brain!” </p><p>Another fun game Tashigi had learnt over the course of these three months on the Grand Line was the simply named “What Kind of Weird Shit Can You Convince Usopp he Wants?” So far, Tashigi had convinced him he’d wanted Buggy to set Logue Town on fire and execute himself on the execution platform. Somehow, Smoker even talked him into believing that the optimal outcome of their battle had been for Red-Hair Shanks to descend from the heavens to stop the battle. “Yeah, yeah.”</p><p>Three months at sea. Three months of the two ships following a trail of smoke, keeping an ear against the railroad at all times in case word of Buggy showed up.</p><p>Smoker and Tashigi weren’t on the Grand Line to find Buggy or anything, that was all Usopp’s goal (he’d even gotten permission for it from up high). They were just bringing him along, him and his little boat and his little crew. At times, the small group would break off from the larger ship to sniff out some clue or lead, but they never found anything concrete. </p><p>Then again, finding dozens of small pirate hide-outs did let him rise in rank rather quickly (Usopp’s wrath at finding a clue was false was not something Tashigi wanted to experience first-hand).</p><p>Buggy himself, on the other hand, almost seemed like a phantom. Appearing in seemingly random places, recruiting new devotees wherever he went… </p><p>A genius. Tashigi took another sip of her brew, feeling the warm liquid slip down her throat.</p><p>Usopp stared blankly at her for a moment, and Tashigi briefly wondered if her game had been discovered. Not so. No, the next second, Usopp let his upper body fall back and bonk against the wooden deck. </p><p>“Where the hell is he…” Usopp mumbled, staring up at the sky. </p><p>----</p><p>Buggy, too, stared up at the sky, watching the stars twinkle and dance. “Where the hell are we?”</p><p>Mohji, who had decided to sleep on the middle of deck, right on top of Richie, simply shrugged. “I dunno, ask Nami. She got us here.” The lion he slept on gruffed in affirmation, exhibiting his usual human intellect. </p><p>Growling, Buggy spun on his heel, heading for the navigator’s cabin she’d forced them to install. He just had to do everything himself, didn’t he? To think even with a bounty of 69 000 000, with a three-ship fleet filled with over three hundred devoted pirates, he still had to walk to places! </p><p>Buggy didn’t even bother to knock on the door, simply throwing it open. “Nami, where the hell are we?!”</p><p>The girl whipped her face around from where she’d been drawing out a detailed map of whatever island they’d been last. She clicked her tongue. “Didn’t knock before entering. 20 000 beri fee.” One would have been blind not to see how her lip curved in satisfaction at swindling yet another poor unfortunate soul. </p><p>Buggy flinched harshly. “T-, twenty thousand!? You-, you scamming hag, first you get us off-course, and now you’re blackmailing the exalted captain! Why, I’ll have you flogged!”</p><p>“Off-course?” she raised an eyebrow, seemingly genuinely confused about the mere idea, “did we get hit by a sudden storm or something?” Buggy crossed his arms, irritated that the matter of him losing twenty thousand beris was just scrubbed over, but before he could answer, she took a glance at the log pose. “-No, we’re right on course. Shouldn’t be much longer either, going by the movements of it.”</p><p>Buggy tapped his foot. “-Going where, exactly? Hell?” </p><p>Nami scoffed. “Close, but no cigar. Alabasta.”</p><p>“Why the fuck are we going to that dried-up raisin?” Buggy asked, feeling a smidge betrayed that these plans had been made behind his back. Nami gave a short, witch-like laugh. Upon seeing that Buggy was not, in fact, kidding, she realized she had to specify.</p><p>“Seriously? I thought since you were aiming to become the King of the Pirates, you’d have known there was a poneglyph there.”</p><p>Buggy drew a blank. </p><p>-Oh.</p><p>Okay, carry on, then. </p><p>-----</p><p>“We’ll meet up in Yuba,” he’d said. “After the refurbishment, it’s better than ever,” he promised. “Just make sure not to get separated from your subordinates,” he’d warned.</p><p>Yeah, sure, Smoker. We’ll do that. </p><p>Usopp growled as he walked wide-legged into what could barely even be called a town at all. He wanted to take off his coat oh so badly, but it wouldn’t do for a Lieutenant to shed his coat of justice. Then again, nobody in this little town knew that, and he’d lost his crew (and their map) several towns back, so nobody would know, right?...</p><p>...No. Usopp shook his head, grip tightening on his walking-stick. </p><p>What he needed to do now wasn’t to forget his pride, but to have a drink! Some juice or water would really do him well. His white shirt had long since gotten so drenched that it sticked to his light-blue overalls like a soaked bat. At least his headband soaked up the sweat on his brow, but otherwise, he just wanted to get out to sea again. </p><p>“Camel’s Draught…” Usopp read, shading his eyes as he stared up at the helpful sign above the bar. Might as well grab a drink before he continued his trek through this barren hellscape of an island. </p><p>Usopp slipped inside the almost-empty bar and sat down by the counter. “One juice, please. Anything that’s in season.”</p><p>Saying so, he threw a couple of coins on the counter. A beat passed, and soon he was two hundred beris poorer but one glass of (something) juice richer. Just as he liked it. A sip proved the drink to be to his liking (sweet, tangy but with a warm aftertaste), and he smiled bitterly. “Can you believe it? I lose the whole crew, in the middle of the desert, and they’ve got the map!”</p><p>“I feel ‘ya on that one, buster,” someone replied from right next to him. “Lost mine too, just the other day. Those buggers’ll die from thirst before sundown I’m sure!” Usopp grinned, feeling all too familiar in the words of the stranger. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they left me of their own accord!”</p><p>“Heh, sure! I’ll bet they can’t even find Yuba! Not that I can do it on my own…”</p><p>“Headed for Yuba?” the stranger asked, his voice surprisingly hopeful. Somehow, that little change in pitch brought a question to the surface of Usopp’s mind. Was he imagining things (as he often/always did), or did he recognize that voice?...</p><p>Usopp turned to face the stranger fully. </p><p>Buggy’s already pale face palened even further. </p><p>-----</p><p>“G-, g-, greenhorn?!” Buggy flew from his seat much alike how he’d done three months ago, only now he was at least sober enough not to clatter to the floor. “What the hell are you doing here?!”</p><p>Usopp failed to remain calm. “I’m pursuing you, dumbass!!”</p><p>“Pursuing me??” Buggy grinned in disbelief, “aren’t you, like, a Petty Officer or something?”</p><p>That’s it. Usopp ripped his coat from his shoulder, holding it up in both pride and proof. “I’m a Lieutenant!” Buggy glanced between Usopp and the coat embellished with the “Justice” slogan. Usopp could feel his jaws grinding. “I LITERALLY became a Lieutenant to chase you! Don’t you even remember our promise??”</p><p>Buggy squinted and scratched his stubbled chin. “Uh, no?” he said, before cracking up into a little smile. “No way you’re a Lieutenant, whatever that means. You’re pulling my leg.”</p><p>“I’m NOT-” and then Usopp noticed the shit-eating grin on Buggy’s face. He glanced down at his hand. </p><p>There was a leg in it. </p><p>“GAH!” Usopp cried, throwing away the cleanly severed appendage.</p><p>“BWAHAHAHAHA!” Buggy laughed, throwing his head back to point and laugh at the exasperated marine. “Gotcha! You stupid idiot, ‘course I remember our promise! Didn’t think you’d actually do it, though…”</p><p>A faint blush invaded Usopp’s cheeks. “You remembered?...”</p><p>Buggy grinned. “Didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to think you could catch ME, the great captain Buggy-sama!” Saying so, Buggy threw out his hands, cackling to the skies while his cape billowed. “Seriously though, do they just hand out coats to any marine who wants to have a crack at the big-shots? What’s up with that?”</p><p>“I’m a Lieutenant! NOT having a coat would be weirder than having one!” Usopp said, slapping the coat in his hand just to prove it was real. </p><p>“Right right, Mr Lieutenant whatever,” Buggy threw an arm around Usopp’s shoulders, “how mean of them, to throw you into Paradise without teaching you anything.” He pointed at himself with one gloved hand. “This is a pirate. Pirate. Can you spell ‘lawless criminal scum’?”</p><p>Usopp shoved Buggy off of his shoulders and bared an accusing finger of his own. “That’s it, we’re fighting!”</p><p>Buggy hung in the air for a moment, torso separated from legs. “-Excuse me?”</p><p>“You heard me! You, me, in the sand. I’ll show you this coat ain’t just for show!”</p><p>A pause. Then… “BWAHAHAHA! Greenhorn, you’re kidding! You couldn’t-”</p><p>A rubber-band hit him square in the forehead. “-Can’t what, Buggy?” He grinned. </p><p>It hadn’t hurt, but the implication was obvious. “That-,, that’s Buggy-SAMA to you, bastard!”</p><p>“I-,” Usopp paused for a moment, brows scrunching together, “no? You told me just to call you regular Buggy. So regular Buggy you are.”</p><p>Buggy’s jaw snapped shut. As much as he hated it, he could actually remember telling this greenhorn - Usopp - to call him just Buggy. Curse his drunken stupor! Next time he got drunk, he’d make sure to give himself a smack in the gob. “You know what? Fine. You, me, in the sand! I’ll turn you into minced meat, rookie!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Third Meeting: Alabasta Pt.2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Buggy and Usopp duke it out, walk through a desert and narrowly avoid war</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is wack yo</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Usopp smirked.</p><p>Not a moment later and he burst out the door, booking it for the nearest patch of desert, which wasn't any further than two houses down. Once he got there, he swivelled around, felt how the coat draped over his shoulders billowed, and drew his slingshot.</p><p>He'd made a few modifications to it over the course of these three months. It was no longer just some repurposed old toy, no, now it had purpose. He'd had it specifically forged in steel, had it elongated, changed the shaft… By now, it wasn't just a slingshot. If he pressed a button on the end, it clattered into a long, hard staff. If he reigned it back in, the end of it acted as a makeshift bludgeon.</p><p>Counting all the ammunition in his bag, he was just about prepared for anything.</p><p>Including a panting, slowly jogging pirate captain. "Wh-, wait up, I can't run in this heat-," he gasped, which was a rather acceptable excuse. He was, as usual, dressed in poofy, colourful clothes, the kind that could easily collect heat and sweat. In comparison, Usopp was dressed far more casually, bar the Justice coat.</p><p>A light-blue pair of overalls, a customary short-sleeved white marine shirt, and the blue necktie completed his navy look. It wasn't overly warm or anything, but Usopp still wished he'd worn shorts.</p><p>Buggy finally caught up with Usopp. "Okay, okay, I'm cool. I'm good. Let me just-," Usopp did not, in fact, let him just.</p><p>The moment Buggy reached for his knives, Usopp was on him. Slingshot raised, he appeared right in front of Buggy's shiny red nose, poised and ready. "-Hm?"</p><p>Usopp fired. A rotten egg splattered across Buggy's face, forcing the pirate to stumble back, desperately clutching his nose. "What the hell did you-,"</p><p>He wasn't done yet. With Buggy caught off-guard, Usopp knew there was only one thing to do. He fumbled for his bag, sweaty palms grasping a few iron ball bearings. He dropped one or two but that didn't matter. He loaded one up, drew back the rubber band, and-,</p><p>And got a fist to the face.</p><p>He crashed to the sand, red hot pain blossoming over the bridge of his nose. He could feel it in his bones. Buggy was strong, but now, he was stronger, too.</p><p>"The hell did you do, bastard?! Is this-, did you hit me with a rotten egg? Do you know how long it'll take me to get it out of my hair?!" Buggy said, his limbs and body already up and flying in the air. Usopp snorted and spat a bloody lob of saliva at the sandy ground. "You think I'll go easy on you just cuz-,"</p><p>He could say no more, because in the next second, an iron ball went flying, hitting him square on the forehead. "GAH-," he exclaimed, staggering back in the air, two dislodged hands flying up to grasp his aching forehead.</p><p>Usopp grinned and threw himself off of the ground. This was his chance.</p><p>A blindly thrown knife whizzed past his face. He ignored it.</p><p>While Buggy complained about him, Usopp ran right up to his cluster of bodyparts. Differentiating one slice of body from another wasn't easy, but Usopp could remember how Buggy had been dressed. His eye scanned the limb-cloud, looking for that particular part.</p><p>-There! The lower part of a light purple vest with lime buttons floated haphazardly. Usopp ran for it.</p><p>"-You, I'll kill you!" Buggy growled, bearing his teeth and knives at the younger man. It was too late. Usopp smirked.</p><p>He took a stand, legs wide, recounted how Smoker had taught him, and…</p><p>Slugged Buggy in the solar plexus.</p><p>Buggy was sent reeling, coughing and sputtering, his entire breathing system seizing up in shock and agony. In his pain, he could do nothing but focus on Usopp. He'd underestimated the runt. He still didn't know what the hell a Lieutenant was, but whatever it was, Usopp might just deserve the title.</p><p>"I did it!" But that title did not bring with it the wisdom not to celebrate his victories early.</p><p>Buggy smiled fondly. Yeah, this guy was a total idiot.</p><p>His chest was still hurting like hell and he could barely breathe, but that didn't stop him from slugging Usopp right back. The younger man flinched at the sudden attack, staggering back, grasping his chest. "Never celebrate your victories early, colt!"</p><p>Usopp looked up at him, feeling his eyes water. He'd been foolish, he knew that. If his opponent had been anyone but this guy…</p><p>"Don't they teach you anything in the academy? Did they even train you at all?" Buggy jeered, his bodyparts flying around Usopp in a whirlwind of activity.</p><p>Usopp grit his teeth. He felt tired. He just wanted this battle to be over, and judging by the tremble in Buggy's body, the slight vibrato to his voice, he was feeling much the same way. An idea struck him. No, wait, that was just a flying wrist. Oh, no, wait, it was both!</p><p>"-Buggy. How about the next one to get a hit in wins?"</p><p>Buggy squinted, but he didn't deny it outright. "-Not to the death?"</p><p>"Do you want to fight to the death?"</p><p>Buggy rubbed his chin for a moment. "-Nah."</p><p>There it was. The two stared each other down. "Three,"</p><p>"Two," Buggy said,</p><p>"O-," Usopp couldn't even finish the last number before a fist went flying at him. He dodged, but only barely. In the same moment, he let loose another iron ball bearing, seeing it miss Buggy by only the smallest increment. He cursed and threw himself out of the way of another pursuing limb. Kind of weird that Buggy hadn't tried to kick him yet, but he'd take it.</p><p>A moment passed, Usopp reloaded, aimed, and dodged a fist. Another fist whizzed by the other side of his face. He pulled the rubber band back, prepared to fire at Buggy's face…</p><p>Only to find it gone. "-Huh?"</p><p>Two robust hands grabbed his wrists, forcing him to release his hold on the slingshot. A grinning face slowly came into view, a body assembling underneath it as he appeared. "Never take your eye off the enemy, runt!"</p><p>Usopp quivered in his grip. Buggy smiled. "I wi-,"</p><p>He couldn't finish the sentence before his face was bashed by Usopp's very own skull. He stumbled back, gripping his thrice-hit forehead in pain. "What the he-,"</p><p>"I won!" Usopp said triumphantly, "I got the last hit in!"</p><p>Buggy stopped in his tracks. "Did not!"</p><p>Usopp shrugged. "Heh, guess it's always hard for the loser to accept the win of another… Especially when the loser is a poopypant meanie like you."</p><p>"You-!" Buggy seethed in anger, "that's cheating! Marines can't cheat!"</p><p>"Hey! I didn't cheat, I headbutted you fair and square!"</p><p>"Did not!"</p><p>"Did so!"</p><p>"Grrrr… fine! We'll call it a draw!" Buggy finally said, stomping his foot into the sand.</p><p>"That's right, I wi-, whu what?"</p><p>Buggy pointed at his gradually reddening forehead. And then to Usopp's gradually reddening forehead. "It's a draw."</p><p>Usopp grit his teeth. He wanted to say Buggy was wrong, that he was full of shit and only making it up so that he didn't lose, but he was sort of right. His forehead did hurt, and at no point during the battle had it felt like he was outright winning. They were fairly matched, for once. "-Fine. It's a draw."</p><p>Buggy grinned. "Great! Then, I'll just be heading for Yuba, and you'll just go wherever, and we'll never meet again, yeah?"</p><p>Usopp waited a moment before answering. "-Um, I'm also headed for Yuba though?..."</p><p>A pause passed between them.</p><p>"You're what!?"</p><p>"Just so you know, I'm only doing this because I haven't got any choice, yeah?" Buggy warned.</p><p>"Yeah, sure," Usopp replied. They'd been walking for the better part of an hour now, and somehow, they actually hadn't gotten into a fight again, which Usopp considered a positive. Despite the time passed, his chest still ached a fair bit. Say what you will, but Buggy sure could pack a punch.</p><p>Then again, with weather like this, whether you'd been slugged or not didn't really matter. The sun was really beating down on them, frying them alive.</p><p>"Say, uh, what exactly is a Lieutenant?" Buggy suddenly asked.</p><p>Usopp squinted suspiciously. "-It's the ninth highest rank. It means I've got control over almost everybody below my rank."</p><p>"That tells me exactly nothing." Buggy looked up at the clear blue sky. "So, you're strong?"</p><p>Usopp shrugged. "Strong enough, I guess." A dangerous glint flashed through his eyes. "Strong enough to one day drag you down to Impel Down." As before, Buggy wasn't put off by his conviction in the least.</p><p>"I'd like to see you try it, heh," Buggy challenged. Usopp didn't bite the hook. Instead, he took note of something in the distance.</p><p>"Is that… a city?..."</p><p>Buggy glanced over in the direction Usopp was pointing in, shading his eyes with his hand. It was a city alright. Going by the directions they got from the (rightfully confused) townfolk of the last town they'd been to, this should be Yuba. Going by their stories, this should also be where their separate crews were lodged.</p><p>First one to get there would be the first one to prepare their soldiers.</p><p>They shared a blank glance.</p><p>-And broke out sprinting.</p><p>"-Hey, no fair, stop throwing knives!" Usopp cried, hopping out of the way of one of the flying projectiles.</p><p>"Not until you stop pelting me with marbles!" Buggy argued back, flying about ten feet in the air.</p><p>Usopp's hand stalled for a moment and he abstained from shooting another ball bearing at the flying pirate. Oh, right, maybe that's why. "Okay, truce!"</p><p>"Save your truces for the grave, softskin!" Buggy said back, flinging yet another knife in Usopp's direction. But by this point, both knew that Usopp could dodge it easily.</p><p>A few minutes of running later and they both found themselves inside Yuba.</p><p>"Hey! Pathetic disgrace, go get the other members!" Buggy called out to a passing man dressed in colourful clothing with make-up on his face.</p><p>The man seemed surprised by the sudden appearance of his captain, but was still quick enough to give a salute and sprint off.</p><p>A white shirt caught Usopp's attention. "Recruit!"</p><p>The Seaman Recruit, carrying a bag of groceries, instantly stiffened like a board and swivelled around to salute him. "L-, Lieutenant Usopp! You've arri-,"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Inform Captain Smoker that the Buggy pirates are here in Yuba!"</p><p>"Y-, yessir!" The Seaman Recruit ran off, leaving Usopp and Buggy in the street, facing each other with stiff expressions. They were in the middle of a square, filled with confused, unsure civilians. Shit. They couldn't fight like this, Usopp knew that better than everybody.</p><p>He spread his legs wide, crossed his arms and squared his shoulders, making sure his Justice coat was as visible as possible. "EVACUATE THE PERIMETERS, CIVILIANS!"</p><p>Silence. Buggy stared sympathetically at the short youngster.</p><p>Then, he dislodged his torso from his legs, rose into the air above the confused people, and…</p><p>"BWAHAHAHAHHAHA! Fear me, civilians! It is I - the great Immortal captain Buggy-sama, feared ruler of East Blue, leader of the Buggy Pirates!"</p><p>Now that got their attention. When he then fished out a dozen glistening knives, a few screamed out in fear, and they all started tumbling over each other, panic gripping a tight hold of their hearts as they ran for their lives. Within barely a minute, the square was evacuated, leaving Buggy and Usopp alone.</p><p>Usopp gave Buggy a thankful smile.</p><p>Buggy's face instantly grew flushed and embarrassed. "W-, well, having a bunch of deadbeat civilians in the way of our battle would just make it boring!"</p><p>Usopp grinned. "Sure thing, Mr Feared Ruler of East Blue."</p><p>"I-, it's true!"</p><p>Before Usopp could shoot something snarky back at the flustered pirate, smoke flooded the square, making Buggy cry out in surprise. Usopp, on the other hand, had seen this smoke too often to fear it. "What's the situation, kid?"</p><p>Usopp turned to see Smoker standing tall right next to him.</p><p>A glean found its way into Usopp's eye and he smiled broadly. "I found Buggy!"</p><p>Smoker turned to look at where Buggy stood, knives at the ready. A few of his crew, including a lion and a furry, had already appeared, weapons drawn. "Yeah, I noticed. Mind telling me why he ain't in seastone-cuffs?"</p><p>Usopp gulped. The dreaded question. "W-, well, um, I tried fighting him, but it turns out we were equally matched, so I couldn't defeat him and he couldn't defeat him so-,"</p><p>"So… what? You didn't… did you walk here with him?!" This might have been the first time Usopp saw Smoker genuinely surprised, of the negative kind.</p><p>"Uh, um," he glanced away, "no?"</p><p>"...God help me, what the hell will I do with you?"</p><p>Tashigi ran up to them, clutching her sword tightly. "Captain Smoker! Everybody's here! Are you sure we should battle here? In the middle of Yuba? Buggy the Clown's tactics are hardly known for being subtle!"</p><p>"Yeah, we've got no choice," Smoker said. "Bastard wants an all-out fight."</p><p>Smoker stared at Usopp, who squirmed under his gaze.</p><p>"BWAAHAHAHAHAHA! Smoker, is it? To think I'd have the pleasure of battling such an exalted man in these slums!" Buggy shouted from across the square. It might have been hard to hear him, but he shouted quite loud enough. "Now, although I would love to stick around and show the lot of you the power of senseless violence, I-,"</p><p>Smoker raised his hand to signal that it was his turn. While Buggy stuttered, Smoker formed a funnel out of smoke, and brought it to his lips. "We don't negotiate with terrorists."</p><p>"I'm not a terrorist!" Buggy screeched, shaking his fist in the air. "And even if I was, I wouldn't let you negotiate with me!"</p><p>Smoker let his improvised megaphone dissipate into nothing. "Soldiers, prepare for battle." Despite not speaking very loudly, his voice carried out over the entire square, prompting both marines and pirates alike to raise their weapons.</p><p>"Hey! Listen to me! If we fight, which we won't, I'd win! But-, but I'd probably lose a bunch of my men!" At this, almost all Buggy pirates gave out tear-filled appreciations. "And I don't want to lose them! So, let's not fight!"</p><p>Smoker crossed his arms and turned to Usopp. "-What do you say?"</p><p>"I-, huh? Well, um… I say…" Usopp glanced out over the people gathered, a hundred young men and women at the least, all ready to throw their lives into battle, "-We let them go."</p><p>Smoker didn't seem surprised. "And why do you say that?"</p><p>"He's both right and wrong. Although we have more soldiers, although we have more technical strength, we would still lose too many men for it to be a viable option. We still have your mission to complete. Losing half or more of our forces now would be nothing but a waste of lives." Usopp took a deep breath, "I say… we take his deal."</p><p>Smoker nodded gravely. "I trust your opinion, Lieutenant. Men!" The connected groups turned to him, expectant. "Let them go."</p><p>For some reason, Buggy, of all damn people, seemed the most surprised by this turn. "Wait, seriously? Just like that?" Smoker nodded. "Oh, well, um. Don't mind if I do!" And with that, Buggy broke out into a sprint, amidst a chorus of people shouting for him to wait up. The marines did not pursue the fleeing pirates.</p><p>No, all Usopp could do was stand there, arms crossed, feeling his nails dig into the flesh of his arms.</p><p>They'd let them escape. Just like that. Three months of pursuit, just to let him go. Usopp could feel a scowl manifest on his face.</p><p>A large, warm hand was placed on his back.</p><p>"Sometimes, you've gotta make tough choices. You did good, kid. You did good."</p><p>Somehow, it didn't feel like it.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Fourth Meeting: Marine Base G-5 Pt.1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Usopp and Vergo become buddies :o)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>SOMEONE COMMENTED HOLY SHIT SOMEONE ACTUALLY READ THIS AND COMMENTED!!!!!! holyfuckinghell uhhh Guest? Mr Guest?? Sir Guest??? Whatever your name may be, you made my day!!! please comment more it is the only thing sustaining me</p><p>Also to all y'all who know what Buggy did while Luffy goofed around in Paradise, y'all know what's coming lmao</p><p>For the sake of my sanity, Usopp's rank in this chapter is: Commander (Seventh highest)</p><p>(Furthermore, I had no space to describe this in this chapter, but Usopp's current attire is his white Justice coat, a pair of dark-blue dress pants held up by a pair of suspenders, a light-blue dress shirt and black monk-straps.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You’re going to need a larger crew someday,” Smoker said.</p><p>Usopp hummed thoughtfully, leaning back in his armchair while a conflicted expression painted his features. “Well, yeah, but I’m not sure I want your G-5 soldiers… Kinda rowdy, ain’t they?” Really, if there was any way to describe the G-5 soldiers, it was rowdy. The second Usopp arrived at the G-5 Marine Base, they’d tried to tie him to a pole to burn him alive. In his rightful panic he didn’t really catch why they wanted to burn him on the stakes, but to him, it was sort of unimportant.</p><p>Smoker scoffed, not at Usopp but at how correct he was. “Yeah, rowdy’s the word for it.” Smoker leaned forwards, the chair creaking as he folded his fingers. “Even so, you absolutely can’t mistake your current rank with the one you had before.”</p><p>“Why not?” Usopp asked, shrugging where he sat.</p><p>Taking a deep drag of his cigars, Smoker let his eyes wander the room. “Kid, you’re no longer just some guy sailing in your little boat with your little friends. You’re a Commander. You’re no Vice-Admiral, but having a capable man like you sailing around in an over-sized dinghy won’t reflect well on the Marines as a whole.”</p><p>“Yeah, sure, but, um,” Usopp drew his lips into a tight smile, “-does it have to be your guys specifically?...”</p><p>Smoker’s eyes sharpened. “You think you can find any other Commodore willing to just hand you their own soldiers?”</p><p>The threat in his words was obvious and Usopp could do nothing but exhale deeply while he looked out through the window in Smoker’s office. Down at the training grounds, a group of his soldiers tried futilly to fend off Smoker’s giggling soldiers with a bunch of brooms. “...Do I have a choice, Commodore?”</p><p>Smoker grinned. “Nope.”</p><p>-----------------</p><p>The G-5 Marine Base. Not a place Usopp ever thought he’d have to visit, but when Smoker let himself be stationed out there under the current head, Usopp sort of just followed along. As it turns out, going by that last conversation they’d had in Smoker’s office, he had ulterior motives for letting Usopp come along. </p><p>Not any bad motives or anything, but ulterior still. And Usopp had thought it was only because Buggy should surely be entering the New World soon enough. </p><p>At least Vice-Admiral Vergo was nice enough to let Smoker have his own soldiers. </p><p>...Smoker was right, all things considered. Despite how Usopp felt, he wasn’t a small-fish anymore. That idea was cast aside when he decided to pursue Buggy. But even so… He couldn’t dismiss how he felt in his heart. He was still the regular old Usopp, going around in his regular old caravan with his regular old crew. </p><p>But he wasn’t just a regular old marine anymore. He could feel it in his bones, in his flesh. Smoker had taught him well. In a fight, he wouldn’t just drag him down.</p><p>...Buggy was also strong. Usopp shivered thinking of the sword-throwing warlord. After they let them escape back in Alabasta, Buggy just kept growing stronger, his fleet growing in size right alongside his ballooning bounty. Still, choosing to let him go had been their best decision by far. The whole “Buggy pirates” debacle had barely been a footnote in what happened after it. </p><p>After all was said and done, Usopp got most of the credit, not just for making a sound strategic decision, but also for defeating the dethroned shichibukai Crocodile. </p><p>They’d let him go a year or so ago when his involvement in the fall of Alabasta’s royal house, but he hadn’t left just because of that. He’d stayed alright, nestled deep inside the island’s affairs like a malignant tumour. Seeing sand and smoke crash together in such a way still made Usopp’s hair stand on end. For some reason though, Smoker didn’t get the credit for his defeat.</p><p>Usopp did. He figured out Crocodile’s weakness, he succeeded in soaking the rogue pirate, and he did the knock-out hit. </p><p>But that was long ago. Not much had happened since. Usopp had trained like crazy, to be sure, but he hadn’t met Buggy. Or-, er, he hadn’t battled the Buggy Pirates. That’s it. Right there. Usopp coughed in his hand, hoping no passing recruit heard his uncouth thoughts. There was nobody in the scrubbed-white hallway leading down to the training grounds, so it seemed like nobody heard him. Good. </p><p>Usopp sped up his pace a little. He needed a good work-out to get his mind off of the red-nosed brute plaguing his hear-, err, mind. </p><p>“Hey!” Usopp called out to the assorted G-5 soldiers on the training grounds tormenting his very own soldiers. Two dozen eyes turned to him. “Whoever defeats me gets a promotion!” An exchange of glances were made. Swords and guns and bludgeons were picked up off the ground. Usopp’s soldiers, now tied above a heap of firewood, whimpered.</p><p>“Like, all at once, Commander?” one of them asked, a bloodthirsty grin already spread across his face.</p><p>Usopp smiled back. “Just you try it. If you can!”</p><p>Only a few marines hesitated to attack their superior. The ones that didn’t were more foolish, perhaps believing the younger man (only 19 still) to be an easy promotion, practically threw themselves at him. None, bar his own soldiers, even noticed him grabbing his slingshot. </p><p>In the next moment, all attackers were on the ground, painfully grabbing at their foreheads. </p><p>“Grraghh, wh-, what’d ya do?!” one of the braver G-5 marines exclaimed, squirming on the ground. </p><p>Usopp grinned, and only now could they see the weapon of his choice. “Come on, give me a fight!” Usopp said with a laugh. The marines present, none too hurt to continue battle, all took to their weapons, ready for a second round. They charged, weapons raised high, shouting about friendship or love or something else that Usopp didn’t care to listen to. </p><p>Their charge was stopped dead when a certain soldier got a fist to the face. </p><p>And promptly went flying. </p><p>The marines’ gazes went soaring along with their fallen comrade, and when they looked back at Usopp… He was gone. </p><p>“Looking for someone?” </p><p>The marine addressed turned his head to look at whomever had dressed him. “Huh-,” </p><p>And got a fist to the face too. </p><p>“Consider this a handicap!” Usopp slugged another poor marine into oblivion. “If I used my slingshot,” a kick sent a bucket-wearing marine flying, “-you’d all be dead!” Even though he said that, none of the marines present, Usopp’s own men included, could honestly believe Usopp was doing anything but going all-out. He was quick and agile as a monkey, but he hit like a gorilla. The last thing they saw was a fluttering white coat and a pair of livid, glittering eyes. </p><p>Less than three minutes later, and all the marines were on the floor. A thin sheen of sweat covered Usopp’s forehead, but otherwise, he was pretty much unharmed. </p><p>“Great goi-,”</p><p>“Good work, Commander Usopp. May I know if there was a reason for you to attack my subordinates?” Vice-Admiral Vergo asked, crossing his arms. </p><p>In that moment, Usopp only swivelled around and saluted Vergo on pure instinct. In every other way, his mind was a total blank. Heart pounding, breath hitching, he tried as best he could to keep a blank expression. “V-, Vice-Admiral Vergo, sir!”</p><p>Vergo nodded, the plate of spaghetti stuck to his face wiggling. “Commander, may I have an answer?”</p><p>“Y-, yessir, I-, well, I really just… It was just a friendly spar!” Usopp said, simultaneously kicking the nearest marine. “I-, isn’t that right, men?!” </p><p>A mumbled chorus of “yeah” and “urgh” and “oww oof ouch my bones” resounded. </p><p>Vergo scratched his chin. “-Glad you’re keeping them in shape, Commander. Try not to break any major cartilage.”</p><p>Usopp nodded. “Um, sir? Did you perhaps eat spaghetti today?...”</p><p>“Yes, I did,” Vergo’s eyes narrowed slightly under his sunglasses, “how’d you know?”</p><p>“...Just a hunch, sir.”</p><p>Vergo waved his hand dismissively. “-No need to call me sir, Commander. You’re a guest in this base. No need for the salute, either. You may call me Vergo, if you’ll let me call you by your own name.”</p><p>Usopp flinched. “R-, really, sir?! No, wait, Vergo, sir! Sir Vergo. Mr Vergo. Vergo-sama. Argh, Vergo!”</p><p>“Yes?” </p><p>“Oh, um. Yeah, just-, just call me Usopp, alright?”</p><p>Vergo smiled. “Sure thing, Usopp.”</p><p>---------</p><p>Buggy squinted through the binoculars. A small town and a beat-down but imposing marine base. “-And there’s no alternative?” </p><p>Nami shrugged uncaringly. “Nope. It’s this or fishman island.”</p><p>Buggy shivered at the mere thought. Yeah, he’d been there once, and e wasn’t going back there anytime soon. What he’d seen in those depths… No way was he repeating that stunt. Still, did they really have to plunder a marine base just to eat? “Y’know, I can go without food for a few more days.”</p><p>Nami scoffed. “Hah! Guess you’d rather feed Richie, then!”</p><p>Someone on deck scrambled to his feet. “Hey! Richie doesn’t eat humans! Do you, bubby hubby?”</p><p>The lion did not, in fact, make eye contact, instead glancing away suspiciously. Mohji gasped, hands clasping over his wide-open mouth. “Richie! You naughty, naughty lion! Is this why the second platoon went miss-”</p><p>“No, they were just weaklings,” Cabaji said, tossing a few swords in the air. </p><p>At this point, Buggy decided to stop listening. </p><p>Buggy turned back to Nami, brows furrowed. “Where the hell did our riches go, then?? We’ve plundered like two dozen ships and five islands just in the last month!”</p><p>“Um.” Nami glanced away. Before Buggy could ask her what the hell she did, she instead looked out over the waters, over at the impressive marine base. “Wooooowww it’d sure be cool if you plundered a marine base! Those things are, like, super secure!”</p><p>An arrogant smile found its way onto Buggy’s lips. “Heh, yeah, I guess it would-, HOLD THE FUCKING PHONE WHERE DID OUR MONEY GO!?!”</p><p>Nami smiled innocently. “Aha. Ahahahaha, I’ve got a map to draw!” And in the next moment, she was gone. Buggy growled, and looked over at the base. Sure. They could plunder a marine base. But not in the light of day. No, if they were going to do this (if they were going to eat and not starve to death), they’d do it in the shadow of night, while all those crummy marines were asleep. </p><p>Marines. Bah, Buggy hated ‘em! And why shouldn’t he? Ever since Alabasta, he’d been forced to specifically maneuver his fleet so as to not bump into that obnoxious brat!</p><p>Eh? Sink Usopp’s ship? </p><p>...No. No way. Not an option. </p><p>Buggy scratched his chin.</p><p>After all, uh… Hmm… if he sunk him, they’d just send another ship-?</p><p>Yeah, yeah! If he sunk the low-ranked greenhorn, the guys up top would realize he truly was a force to be reckoned with, and, in turn, they’d send someone stronger! Someone who was actually competent and strong and boring and dull and no fun to talk and drink to.</p><p>…</p><p>Buggy slapped himself. </p><p>“B-, Buggy-sama! Is everything alright?” some random colourful miscreant asked. </p><p>“Uh? Ah, yeah. Um. Gather our strongest soldiers, we invade at moonrise!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Fourth Meeting: Marine Base G-5 Pt.2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've always loved how Garp, in his first appearance, just straight-up threw cannonballs.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Usopp couldn’t sleep. </p><p>Really, he’d never been much good at sleeping. Whenever he closed his eyes, his mind would fill with vivid stories and ideas about pirates and knights in shining armour and dragons and sea-beasts and whatever his boyish mind could come up with. As he grew older, his nightly thoughts took a turn for the practical. Instead of imagining stories, the young marine would think up new weapons, ways to improve his damage output, combat strategies. Anything to get him ahead of his physically superior peers.</p><p>He usually forgot his nightly thoughts the day after though, so it didn’t really matter. </p><p>In times of stress or excitement, these habits only grew more severe. He’d wake up in the middle of the night, head stuffed full of wooly ideas he just had to get out there. Sometimes he’d write it out, sometimes he’d draw a scribble, and sometimes he just went straight for the workshop. </p><p>Tonight was not that kind of night. Tonight, his reason for walking through the sparsely lit halls were not because his head was jammed full of unneeded thoughts, but rather a complete lack of them.</p><p>His head felt empty, a gaping cavity. He was awake, but he sure didn’t feel like it. </p><p>He let his legs carry him, wearing his seagull-patterned PJ and matching nightcap, Justice coat draped haphazardly over his shoulders, pillow secured safely under his right armpit. Really, he didn't know where he was going, but moving seemed like a neato idea right now. </p><p>“Ah, Commander Usopp!” someone called out. Usopp glanced at the meek Chore-Boy mopping the floor. At this hour. “S-, sir, you oughtn't be up at this hour!” The young boy looked Usopp up and down. “-And without socks, too! You’ll catch a cold!”</p><p>“Mnghnnaaaahh, I’m fine,” Usopp slurred, making a conscious effort not to slip on the wet floor. </p><p>The Chore-Boy drew his lips into a thin line. “Well, um, if you say so, sir… Just try to get in bed on time, okay?”</p><p>“Yeh yeh.” Usopp nodded, barely noticed how the Chore-Boy waved him goodbye, and continued dragging his body through the marine base like a famished zombie. Had he been in a sounder frame of mind, he might have noticed how it was pretty disrespectful of the lowest ranking marine not to salute him, but hell if he cared. Kids will be kids, can’t expect them to respect their elders right away.</p><p>Let’s see what we can find in the kitchen.</p><p>Usopp turned a corner, squinted into the pitch-black corridor, and swore he could see something moving. “-Hm?”</p><p>Silence. And then…</p><p>“Groaaaaann,” someone’s stomach growled.</p><p>-------</p><p>Of all people. Of all fucking people-,,</p><p>Yup, Buggy would regret this forever. Not that he didn’t already regret his entire life. Being a pirate was… It just never ended, did it? Can’t go one day without meeting a familiar face that also wants to kill you.</p><p>Maybe they were lucky it was this greenhorn? They could probably silence him before he was able to scream for an actual threat to pop up.</p><p>(What Buggy didn’t know at this moment was that Usopp was the third highest-ranking officer in the entire building.)</p><p>“Um, uh, hello-?” the sleep-deprived greenhorn croaked. His voice was about as hoarse as one can expect going by the dark rings around his eyes. The time was 02:00. According to Nami, only the odd patrol or Chore-Boy should be up and about, but it seems Usopp defied such expectations. </p><p>Buggy cast a glance at his handful of specifically chosen crewmates. He couldn’t bring everybody (and Nami obviously wouldn’t volunteer to join), so his only members were Cabaji, Mohji and Richie. The lion, that is. He knew he could trust him.</p><p>...With a gaggle of hens like this, Buggy had no choice but to do this himself. He was the fastest, anyways. </p><p>With no warning whatsoever, Buggy dislodged his upper body and threw himself at the half-awake marine, knives at the ready. “BWAHAHAHA PREPA-,”</p><p>The second he got within range to Usopp, he got slugged in the face. </p><p>The pirate captain went crashing into the wall, feeling it crack under the sheer force of the hit. He gasped at the sudden strike, knocked so hard that he couldn’t even tell what had happened. </p><p>“Huh? Uh!” Usopp exclaimed, glancing between his closed fist and Buggy, tired eyes widening at the realization. “B-, Buggy?! The hell are you doing here??” As it seems, Usopp himself had no idea he’d even hit the pirate. It was entirely on instinct. </p><p>“Gg-, gh,” Buggy groaned, crumpling to the floor like a used tissue. “Y-, y-, you--,, g-, green… horn-,,”</p><p>Usopp ran up to where Buggy laid, dropping his pillow to the floor. It clattered oddly. “H-, hey! Keep it together, man! It wasn’t that hard!” This was probably meant as a reassuring gesture, but to Buggy, it sounded more like an insult. No way that wasn’t a hard hit. That was a damn sledgehammer of a punch!</p><p>“You-, you bastard-,,” Buggy said, his voice nasal and odd after the punch. Usopp tried to grab his hand to pull him up, but Buggy slapped away his hand. “-Don’t touch me, pipsqueak! The hell is wrong with you?!”</p><p>“Hey, you’re the one who went flying at me! How was I supposed to react?!”</p><p>“Maybe, y’know, NOT by punching!?” Buggy retorted, flying up from where he’d been sitting. </p><p>Usopp stared at some defined point beneath Buggy’s eyes. Namely, his nose. “Um, dude, you’re bleeding. Are you oka-, no, wait, that’s your real nose?!”</p><p>“WHAT’S THAT ABOUT RED NOSE?!” Buggy screamed, jabbing a knife in Usopp’s general direction. “Like you can say anything, long-nose!”</p><p>“I didn’t-, hey! What’s that, you no-good-,”</p><p>A lion stepped between them before things got any more physical. “Roar. Roar roar roar,” Richie said in a deep, philosophical voice. </p><p>“”SHUT UP!”” both captains roared, two fists flying at Richie all at once. </p><p>“Garouuuuu~” Richie said, falling to the floor in a most dramatic fashion. </p><p>“Richie!” Mohji said in the most heart-broken voice Buggy had ever heard, stumbling up to the defeated lion to fall on his knees beside him. Without even so much as a glance to the people looking at him, he cradled the struck lion in his arms, sobbing profusely. “Whyyyyyyy!”</p><p>“Why NOT, idiot?!” Buggy said, slamming his fist into Mohji as well, who gave a whimper and collapsed into Richie’s paws. </p><p>“Garou!?”</p><p>Usopp couldn’t bear it any longer. “That’s it-, I’m calling the night-guards.” With that, the sleep-deprived Commander spun on his heel, and headed towards some part of the complex facility where he might find a subordinate or two to inform Smoker or Vice-Ad-, err, Vergo of the situation. “Guards!”</p><p>“H-, hold on!” Buggy said, running up to Usopp from behind. “We can talk this over! I’ll just-, wait, why the hell am I trying to suck up to a greenhorn?! Cabaji, Mohji! Sic’ ‘im!”</p><p>Both men practically threw themselves at Usopp, Mohji summoning Richie to do his bidding while Cabaji simply grabbed his swords. </p><p>One second Usopp, drowsy and only half-awake, was walking through the halls, and the next, he had a sword at his throat and a lion ready to bite his head off. Great. Usopp sighed deeply, one of those soul-deep sighs you can only bring out at 2 am. “Be careful where you point that thing, pirate.”</p><p>If Usopp hadn’t been this tired, if the time hadn’t been two in the morning, if he hadn’t been just about ready to pass out at any moment, he might have handled this with more tact. </p><p>However, that was not the case.</p><p>So, when Cabaji made no attempts to remove his sword, Usopp acted rashly. </p><p>Not that Cabaji himself noticed it, that is. No, one moment he was holding a sword to the throat of a man he considered barely bigger than a small fry, and the next… his sword was fractured into a thousand shards which all fell to the floor with a metalling crash. “-Huh-?”</p><p>Before Cabaji could even realize what had happened, he was struck in the face by something hard. Real hard. He crashed to the floor, his clothes and skin ripping as they came into contact with the discarded shards of his former sword. It felt like he’d been hit by a damn cannonball! Something warm and wet flowed down his face, and he realized his nose was probably broken.</p><p>He looked up at Usopp, the pain assaulting his face almost making him black out. What the hell had he-,</p><p>Oh. It wasn’t just a metaphor, Usopp had literally hit him with a cannonball. </p><p>What.</p><p>How the hell-, no, forget the semantics, how was Usopp even strong enough to lift a cannonball in one hand?? And then hit him with it???</p><p>Silence overtook the hallway as Buggy and his small band of pirates tried to understand what the hell was happening. </p><p>“Gygh!” Richie whined, tail flashing to move beneath his stomach, and turned tail. </p><p>“Oh no you don’t-,” Usopp slurred, and Richie only barely got twenty feet down the hall before a cannonball flew past Buggy and Mohji and hit the lion in the head. The large cat collapsed on the spot. “Gotcha!”</p><p>This is the moment where Mohji should have run up to Richie, cradled his body and cried. However, that did not happen, because at that very moment, Mohji was overtaken by fear. Usopp had just thrown a cannonball. Thrown it. A ball of iron. Lobbed through the hall. Like it was a damn tennis ball. </p><p>In other words, Mohji chose not to stop and help his ally, and instead fucking booked it for the exit. </p><p>Hell no. Hell no, hell fucking-,</p><p>“Ohnoyoudon’t-,”</p><p>And that was the last thing Mohji heard before he got a cannonball to the back of the head and promptly went unconscious. </p><p>Buggy simply stared. Snorted. Turned back to the almost-asleep Usopp. </p><p>And chose not to run. </p><p>Maybe he was simply clever enough to know that running was no longer an option, maybe he understood that being arrested was preferable to having his skull cracked, maybe he hoped Usopp would pass out on his feet if he just didn’t do anything… Maybe it was all of it. Or none of it. “Um.”</p><p>Usopp turned a tired, unfocused eye to Buggy. “Yeah?”</p><p>“Where, uh, where’d you get the cannonballs from?” </p><p>Usopp paused for a moment. Removed his coat. Checked the pockets. “...Nothing.” Checked the pockets on his PJ’s. “Nothing…” A lightbulb went off in his head. “-Oh!” He leaned down, grabbed the pillow off of the floor, and Buggy only now noticed that it had a rather… strange shape.</p><p>Usopp opened up the pillow. It was filled with cannonballs. “Look.” Usopp smiled. “Good for your back.” Usopp turned to look at Buggy, confusion painting every facet of his face. “-And, invading pirates…”</p><p>Buggy threw up his hands in surrender before Usopp could toss any cannonballs at him. “H-, hold up. One second. Um.” Usopp stopped, hand half-reaching into the pillow. “How about, instead of cracking my skull, uh…” Buggy took a cautious step closer to Usopp. “-You just, y’know, let me go?”</p><p>Usopp squinted. “Why the heck would I do that?”</p><p>“Well, you know, heh, uh,” Buggy’s mind went blank at this very moment. The best thing to do in this kind of moment was to bribe the shit out of the marine using whatever they loved, but Buggy had no idea what Usopp liked. None whatsoever. He seemed like he needed a nap, but he could just get one after he arrested Buggy. </p><p>So, what else did Buggy know Usopp liked? The first time they met, he didn’t seem interested in anything in particular, in Alabasta he got a juice to drink, in Logue Town… Ah!</p><p>“How about… we have a drink together?” In this moment, he meant “drink together” as in “I’ll buy you a drink and we’ll be fine”, but he didn’t understand the implications Usopp understood. </p><p>A blush spread evenly over Usopp’s cheeks. “A-, a drink? Together?...”</p><p>Focus on the together, not the drink. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I’ll buy you, like, the best rum the New World has to offer!” Focus on the drink. </p><p>Usopp would take it. “Y-, yeah, I’d like that. I’d like that very much,” Usopp said, putting down the pillow. He could always grab it later. In his sleep-deprived state of mind, he forgot all about his duties as a marine. That could wait, right? He could just arrest them all later! After he’d had a drink, that is.</p><p>With Buggy. </p><p>Usopp smiled to himself. </p><p>Buggy, cautious beyond words, slowly stepped closer to Usopp, a tad bit more confident now that he knew he’d successfully fooled Usopp. His eyes grazed Usopp’s slim body. Dressed in nothing but poofy PJ’s and a Justice coat, it was hard to tell he was anything but a 19-year-old kid. </p><p>Buggy pursed his lips. Yeah, something here was off. Usopp was a greenhorn. A weak greenhorn Buggy had no problems soundly defeating the last time they met (paraphrased from Buggys own mind; their tie in Alabasta has been activly repressed), so the idea that Usopp would suddenly become powerfull enough to toss around canonballs as if they were nothing…</p><p>There was something afoot.</p><p>At first, Buggy surmised it might have something to do with Usopp himself. It might be some sort of devil fruit ability, allowing him to easily lift heavy stuff or something. But that didn’t sit right either. Buggy had always felt like he was good at spotting fellow users, and Usopp certainly wasn’t anything like that.</p><p>Then… the cannonballs?</p><p>Yes, of course! Usopp, as stupid as he is, does seem like the crafty type! Of course he’d manufacture some sort of magic cannonball that was easy to lift and throw but still hit hard! Why, Buggy even felt a bit like a genius himself for realizing the fact of the matter. </p><p>Then, all Buggy had to do to gain the upper hand was to rob Usopp of his weapon. His salvation.</p><p>Buggy cackled. </p><p>“Hm? Everything alright, Buggy?”</p><p>“Oh, yes, everything is quite alright. Very alright, even!” Seeing Usopp transform into a question-mark almost made Buggy’s night. “You thought you could fool ME? The great captain Buggy-sama??”</p><p>“-Huh? Whatcha talkin’-,”</p><p>“-But you failed to consider my likewise magnificent genius!”</p><p>While Usopp watched, too confused to act, Buggy threw himself at the pillow, preparing to lift it off the ground as if it were a bag of apples, “just watch this, you foolish greenhorn! I’ll pelt you into the dust with your own weapon, you-”</p><p>-Hm? It was… it was heavy? “W-, wait, what the h-,”</p><p>“Buggy?” his voice was as chilly as frozen steel, “what are you trying to do?”</p><p>“Uh, uh, um,”</p><p>Buggy threw himself off of the ground, brandished his knives, shouted “en garde!” and then a fist collided with his face and made him pass out on the spot.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Fourth Meeting: Marine Base G-5 Pt.3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Usopp mulled over the scene laid out before him. He’d already knocked Cabaji out as well, not to mention collecting his cannonballs, so all he was left with was the matter of the actual pirates. </p><p>There were only four of them, but… Considering that Buggy was known to command a fleet of six battleships in the Grand Line and another two in East Blue, thinking that he came here alone would be more foolish than anything. So, his best course of action would be to call for a guard, report to Vice-, Vergo and Smoker himself, inform them of the situation and prepare for an all-out war. </p><p>That was the best course of action. For a marine. </p><p>…</p><p>Instead, Usopp bent down low beside Buggy’s passed-out body. He’d fallen on his chest, meaning that his elegant, ornate cape covered his body almost like a blanket. </p><p>Usopp grabbed a light hold of Buggy’s face and leaned it just a little so that he could get a proper look at it. Mature. Angled. Hidden by a firm layer of make-up. Usopp wanted to scrape it all off, to get a look at the man underneath. The real man. The real Buggy. </p><p>But he couldn’t do it here. Not now. Not with Buggy in this situation. </p><p>Not without knowing it’s what he wanted. </p><p>Usopp shook his head and stood up. Buggy’s followers could be handled by anybody, but… But he had to take Buggy himself. Buggy was strong. This was just-, just an accident! In reality, in any situation but this one, Usopp might be lucky to get even a single hit on the exalted captain! Right, right. </p><p>Buggy wasn’t weak. Wasn’t now, wasn’t ever. </p><p>Usopp leaned back down, squatted, and grabbed a hold of Buggy. When the clown captain groaned in response to the touch, Usopp almost dropped him. But he pulled himself together alright, and slugged the man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The best way to carry criminal scum like him. He could leave the rest to some unfortunate Recruit or-,</p><p>“S-, sir!?” -Or a Chore-Boy. </p><p>“Uh, um, Boy!” Usopp said, unsure of how to address the younger man. </p><p>The Chore-Boy stumbled back at his mention. “Y-, yessir?”</p><p>“WIll you, like, inform someone that we’re probably about to be attacked by the Buggy pirates?”</p><p>“Th-, The Buggy Pirates!?!” the Chore-Boy exclaimed, clutching his mop ever closer. “As-, as in the pirates led by the great captain Buggy-sama, worth 185 000 000 beris!?”</p><p>“Well, um, yeah. Would you? I’ll carry him to the cells or something, I dunno. Just make sure Vergo knows, yeah?”</p><p>The Chore-Boy nodded, and with that all said and done, Usopp wandered off. </p><p>...Buggy was light. Usopp had really expected the man to weigh like a horse, but not so. If anything, he was slightly lighter than the regular person. It made Usopp think of him as a little bit less than he maybe should have. Like a regular person, instead of an unreachable dream.</p><p>When he then found himself at the docks, he wasn’t exactly sure why he’d gone there instead of the cells down low.</p><p>...Oh well. Might as well get him into the single cellar on the Merry. Didn’t hurt, did it?</p><p>They’d have to bring them to Impel Down anywa-,</p><p>Usopp stopped dead in his tracks. </p><p>On his shoulder, Buggy shifted and groaned before slipping back into unconsciousness. Usopp glanced up at him, his eyes going soft. </p><p>Impel Down…</p><p>Somehow, Usopp couldn’t see Buggy in there. He couldn’t imagine the boisterous captain in those depths, rotting away for months or years only to be executed like a common criminal. He couldn’t imagine that bright smile fading away, corroded by despair and suffrage. Couldn’t see himself bringing him there. Letting such a fate occur to him. </p><p>It felt… wrong. Bittersweet. </p><p>Had Usopp won? Well, yes. Technically. The one unconscious here was Buggy, not Usopp. And still, it hadn’t felt like a true win. </p><p>Usopp sighed and stepped onto the wooden walkboard and aboard the deck of the Merry. He went through the doorway, down the stairs to the cell, made sure not to bump Buggy’s head into anything, and… And there he was. Buggy was in his cell. Lying on the little bunk-bed, sleeping as soundly as anybody ever slept. </p><p>Usopp smiled, and walked back out, making sure to lock the cell before he left. </p><p>-------</p><p> </p><p>When Vergo found Usopp, he was in a state of self-induced coma, spread-eagle in the lobby. </p><p>“...Usopp.”</p><p>The Commander didn’t answer. Better get to the heart of the matter, then. </p><p>“Usopp. Buggy has escaped.”</p><p>“H-, hugyck!?” Usopp practically threw himself into a standing position, right arm instinctually raised in a salute. “H-, he wHat?!”</p><p>Vergo crossed his arms. He didn’t seem angry or anything. “Smoker told me to find you, said you’d be the man for the job.”</p><p>Usopp went silent for a moment. “Um, uh, what job-?”</p><p>Vergo pointed at the ceiling. “-He’s on the roof.”</p><p>“He’s what,” Usopp deadpanned. Vergo didn’t even reply, and simply pointed towards the stairs. Usopp got the hint and simply ran. Half a year ago, these stairs might have posed some sort of trouble for him, but no longer. Now, all he could think about was Buggy. Hadn’t he put him in the cell? How the hell did he-,</p><p>Oh, right. Buggy can slice himself into small pieces. The cell had bars. </p><p>Usopp didn’t put him in seastone cuffs.</p><p>With that thought, Usopp cursed under his breath as he threw himself up the fifth flight of stairs. What time was it even? He could barely even remember capturing Usopp. Maybe Buggy broke a leg or something? Maybe that was how Usopp was able to beat him? Very possible.</p><p>The stairs ended in an open door which Usopp burst through.</p><p>“Hey! Hey!! Grand fleet, talk to me!!”</p><p>He was on the roof alright. “-Buggy!”</p><p>“Huh? Argh, you!” Buggy said, swivelling around to face Usopp. Behind him, out on the ocean, three large ships, seemingly themed after a circus, all stood side-by-side, ready to attack. “I’m trying to rally my troops, leave me alone!”</p><p>Usopp was almost too tired to reply. Almost. “I won’t leave without you! In-, in handcuffs, that is!”</p><p>Buggy seemed stunned. “That is-, THE most clichéd thing I’ve ever heard. Seriously? I’m not letting you arrest me!” Usopp could only watch as Buggy did that thing where he separated his entire body into two dozen slices. “Just you try it! Here on the roof, I can spread as wide as I’d like!” Buggy grinned. “ONE order from me and this marine base goes flying!”</p><p>That’s it. That’s what Usopp needed to hear. He drew his slingshot. </p><p>Buggy stared at him as if he’d pulled out his phallic. “Greenhorn. What. I’ve seen you sling around cannonballs, and-, and you’re going to fight me with a children's toy??”</p><p>Usopp was just about to warrant Buggy with an answer when he noticed something. </p><p>He quickly sidestepped, and not a moment later, a cannonball whizzed by, luckily missing Usopp but still flying into another one of the marine-towers. He had to finnish this quickly.</p><p>“W-, whoa. Uh, that was-, I didn’t ask for that, but… HELL YEAH!!”</p><p>-The longer Buggy was on the loose, the more damage he did. </p><p>While Usopp fumbled with his slingshot, Buggy reached high into the sky, bodyparts circling each other haphazardly, making non-verbal signs for his crew to attack. “Come on, come on…”</p><p>Usopp pulled back on the elastic band of his slingshot. </p><p>Buggy grinned at his fleet, believing he had already won. </p><p>Usopp aimed, and…</p><p>“Hah, watch-,”</p><p>The very next second, something hit Buggy. Compared to the ball bearings, hell, compared to a fucking cannonball it was nothing, but… It lodged itself inside Buggy’s shoulder, like a little sharp rock. “What the hell-,”</p><p>And then, all strength Buggy previously had was drained out of him. Every part of his flying body fell to the floor, limp and unmoving. “Wh-, what-,”</p><p>Usopp stepped up to him, standing tall over his dismembered head. “-Special shot: Seastone Fang. You won’t be able to move for a good while. At least, not while the seastone is still in your system.”</p><p>Buggy writhed on the floor, caught between exhaustion and misery. He tried to say something, but weakness grasped and crushed his meagre attempt. </p><p>Without another word, Usopp leaned down, grabbed Buggy’s dislodged head, and held him up high. High enough for the ships to see. “-Behold! Your captain!”</p><p>Silence.</p><p>------</p><p>“N-, Nami, what do we do??” Haccan asked, biting nervously at all 35 of his nails at once. This was just-, they had captain Buggy! His head, too!! “Nyuu, should we escape?”</p><p>Nami tapped her foot impatiently, her expression strained. “I don’t know. He isn’t necessarily dead, but-, but…” she clicked her tongue, “he’s been captured alright. We’ve got no choice! Without him, we’re nothing!”</p><p>The three ships present grew silent as Nami grabbed a megaphone in order to communicate with the lot of them. Her message was simple. “-CHARGE!!”</p><p>And charge they did. </p><p>It was a stupid move, really. Most other crews would’ve left their captain to rot. But not the Buggy pirates. No, these fanatics had no other place to go but to throw their bodies at the heavily armed marine base in the hopes that they might win.</p><p>In the end, not only did they lose, but they did so with great losses. One of the ships had been sunk, and Nami estimated off the top of her head that at least 120 men had died. </p><p>Along with the loss of Buggy himself and his officer men, this was not an easy loss to take. </p><p>Nami, for all her talents in commanding stupid leaders, was no leader herself. She simply didn’t have that ability to make hundreds of people stick together through thick and thin. Not like Buggy. He had that talent. That inherent skill that made people want to follow him, protect him.</p><p>She was barely even able to drag the relentless pirates away from the G-5 marine base. But if she hadn’t, none of them would have made it out alive. </p><p>But they didn’t have Buggy. </p><p>And without him, they were nothing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aaaaaalright, the next couple of chapters might get a tad bit more dramatic, but that's probably fine, right? Right. I'm still trying to figure out how to respond to Cracker Mackarel lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Fifth Meeting: Aboard the Going Merry Pt.1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I personally believe that a comedy lacking in down-to-earth moments can barely even be considered a comedy at all. A gag with only goofy character is just boring. You need that straight-man to point at the joke and say "what the fuck is that". </p><p>And that's why this and the next chapter might be a bit uhhh angsty? No worries tho it'll get lighter</p><p>yeh no worries</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Buggy woke up, he was alone.</p><p>His body felt heavy, rigid, bound to the earth with shackles of stone. No, wait, seastone. The heavy cuffs clinked just from moving slightly, and Buggy could already tell this would become annoying in a few minutes. Apart from that, his pockets were also a bit light…</p><p>Touching them ensured that he had, indeed, been plundered of all personal belongings. Shit. </p><p>They even took his hat! The bastards!</p><p>Buggy grumbled and sat himself down, peering about his new quarters. He could remember seeing it some time ago when he briefly escaped, but with these shackles, that wasn’t happening anytime soon. The cell itself wasn’t that bad. The bunk bed had a thin mattress and a single blanket neatly folded atop it, there was a round window through which he could see out into the sea, and that was about it. </p><p>Buggy himself was dressed almost exactly the same as before he’d been arrested. He didn’t have shoes (for some reason?), and both his hat and coat had been confiscated. </p><p>At least they didn’t stink him in one of those dreary black-and-white striped pajamas those inmates in Impel Down had to wear. </p><p>...Oh, right.</p><p>That’s where he was going, wasn’t it?...</p><p>A peculiar form of panic settled snugly in Buggy’s stomach. </p><p>Memories he didn’t care for rose to the occasion. (He didn’t even say goodbye. Buggy couldn’t remember if he told him about his plan or not. He hadn’t been old yet. He didn’t know the seas, didn’t know anything. His first captain, executed. Loathed. A sick man dying the only way he could.)</p><p>Buggy stood up, and tried to breathe. His chest felt tight. Tight and compressed. Like he was a hundred feet below the surface, choking on salty water and salty tears and salty regrets. </p><p>His eyes fell on a plate placed by the locked door to the cell. It hardly seemed warm, but…</p><p>Buggy hadn’t had actual, real food in days. </p><p>He sat down, dug in, and tried not to think too hard. </p><p>He wouldn’t die here. Not now. He wouldn’t walk the same road as Roger. </p><p>He’d live. No matter the cost.</p><p>-------</p><p>Every day, at three specific times, one of three boys would come down with a hot plate of food. One came in the morning with breakfast, one came at noon with lunch, and one came in the evenings with dinner. They never said a word and he never caught their names, but he affectionately dubbed them Carrot, Pepper and Onion. </p><p>Why the odd names? Well, apart from the fact that they were mute like their namesake vegetables, they had all the hairstyles of them. </p><p>Kinda odd, but that was okay. </p><p>The first day, he’d just tried to get them to talk. They didn’t, but at least they seemed somewhat conflicted about it. As the days went by, they slowly became more accustomed to their silence. Buggy could tell, and he hated it. Hated being ignored. </p><p>It was the third day. “So, uh, when can I talk to the captain of this ship?”</p><p>The purple-haired kid, bangs covering his eyes, didn’t respond.</p><p>“-It’s that greenhorn, right?”</p><p>The young marine twitched slightly, but remained silent. </p><p>“It is! Look, just-, just tell him to come down here, and we can talk. I just want to talk to him.” Buggy inched closer to the bars, trying his very best to make puppy-eyes at the youngster. “Seriously. If-, if you do, I’ll give you more beris than you can possibly use! A million, no, TWO million, all yours!”</p><p>It was a stupid plan, probably the stupidest he’d had in a good time, but it was the only one he had. And if he didn’t have confidence in it, he might as well let himself be dragged down to Impel Down. It was simple, really. If he remembered correctly (he’d been barely even a teenager at the time), that persistent Garp marine had hardly been happy to drag Roger down to Hell. If anything, he found it just as tough as it was for the older members of the Roger pirates to accept.</p><p>In other words, if the marine trying to bring you down actually knows you… they might not want to bring you to the execution block at all.</p><p>He just had to talk to him. Carrot put down the lunch, turned away from the cell, and left. </p><p>Another day gone by, another failure. </p><p>Buggy ate. He ate, and he slept, and he bargained.</p><p>--------</p><p>He had no escape. </p><p>Three times a day, he’d ask an increasingly indifferent marine to let him speak to somebody, anybody, and every time, they simply walked away. He stopped asking to speak to their captain. Stopped asking to speak to the greenhorn. Stopped asking for them to say something. </p><p>Stopped speaking. He accepted the food, ate it, and went back to staring out the window. </p><p>He’d never been the imaginative type.</p><p>He could plan, he could scheme, but when he looked at the waves, he could never imagine another world, full of fantastic things that couldn’t possibly exist. He couldn’t think of a different life. Such thoughts didn’t come easy to him, but now, he forced them. When the waves grew high, he forced himself to think of his ship, of the Big Top and of Mohji and Nami and Cabaji and Alvida and Gin and Chuu and all of them. </p><p>They were probably doing well. He hadn’t been much of a leader anyways. All he did was sit on a throne and bark orders. </p><p>Without him, they were much better off. Without him, they could avoid this fate.</p><p>As Buggy stared out the window, watching the dark clouds swirling above, he heard the door open. Paprika entered. Of the three youngsters, he seemed like the strongest, physically speaking, that is. Buggy didn’t move. Didn’t say a word. Not when Paprika entered, not when he placed the hot food on the floor, and especially not when Paprika picked up the still-full plate he’d gotten from Carrot and left. </p><p>Buggy didn’t eat anymore. It wasn’t worth it. Everything tasted the same. Like wet newspapers. Pulp. </p><p>Buggy scoffed. His lips drew into a colourless, blank smile. </p><p>Worst of all, he didn’t even feel hungry. </p><p>------</p><p>“Commodore Usopp.” </p><p>Usopp glanced up from where he’d been reading the paper. “-That isn’t official yet. I’m still just a Commander.” His tired eyes surveyed Paprika where he stood, saluting and… frowning. Not a good sign. “Everything alright, Apprentice Paprika?”</p><p>Paprika smiled wryly. “Well, Commo-, erm, Commander Usopp, it’s about… Buggy the Clown.”</p><p>Usopp’s eyes narrowed. “What about him, Apprentice?”</p><p>“I’ll get straight to the point, Commander. He hasn’t said anything in a while. I know you told us not to speak to him and not to listen to him, and I’m sure you had good reason, but… He isn’t even asking for you anymore. Or trying to speak with us. Or eating, at all. Pirates are scum, I agree, but seeing him waste away like this, I… I can barely stand it.”</p><p>“Are you defying my orders, Apprentice?” Usopp asked, a sharp edge to his voice making Paprika’s hair strand on edge. He swallowed hard, and stared into Usopp’s large, dark eyes. </p><p>“-I am.” His voice didn’t even waver. “This is no way to treat a man.”</p><p>Usopp bit his lip and looked away. Out over the seas. “You don’t know what you’re-,”</p><p>“Usopp.” </p><p>The commander’s head whipped around at the casual greeting. “You-,”</p><p>“You can dismiss me if you want, you’ve got that kind of command. Even so, if you don’t do something, change your orders, I’m assured that Buggy the Clown won’t make it another week.” It was true. Paprika was entirely correct, and if anybody knew it, it was Usopp. </p><p>He hadn’t visited Buggy once. He’d helped his underlings to carry Buggy into his little cell, helped them put all the body parts into place, and then he’d given Buggy one last look and walked away. </p><p>Usopp ground his teeth. “-You’re dismissed.”</p><p>“Yessir.” Paprika gave a mocking salute, and left. </p><p>------</p><p>Usopp didn’t eat dinner. </p><p>He watched Onion ready up a plate of the sea-king stew, and when Onion left for the cell, Usopp followed at a distance. He’d always been good at sneaking. It came to him more naturally than fighting did. </p><p>He followed Onion rather closely, that is, until Onion reached the door heading downstairs to the cells. Hiding behind the mast, Usopp watched Onion pull the door open and enter. In a flash of movement, Usopp dashed for the door, pressing his ear up against it the moment it closed. At first, he just heard footsteps. Booths rapping against wood. A brief moment of silence. The clatter of cutlery. </p><p>Silence. </p><p>Silence.</p><p>Someone spoke. Usopp barely recognized him. “...Wadduya want?” It was hoarse. Hoarse and weak and pathetic. It was absolutely hopeless, barely an echo of the Buggy Usopp knew. Usopp felt his heart sink like a hammer. His blood ran cold. He wanted to rip his ear from the door, but he couldn’t.</p><p>Silence filled the cell below. “...Just go away.”</p><p>Onion did not, in fact, go away. “Please, I… Unless you’re going to say something, just leave me be.”</p><p>Another pause. </p><p>The silence echoed through Usopp’s heart. “-Are you making fun of me?”</p><p>Someone stood up. “If you,” his voice cracked like a broken sob, “if you seriously think I’ll grovel, and-, and bow down to you, ask you to go get your captain, I won’t. You marine bastards are all the same. Sadistic bags of shit who want to uphold your own little petty form of justice. For what? To keep the people of the world safe? Hah!”</p><p>Usopp trembled where he stood. Hands balling into fists. </p><p>“Sure. Whatever.” He paused for a moment. “-Or do you want me to eat? Prolong my life enough to get to-, to Impel Down? To get executed?”</p><p>There was yet another moment of silence before the wooden taps of feet rung out. Usopp threw himself behind the mast before Onion exited, his face tense with barely kept emotion, carrying a plate of cold food. Usopp watched him leave, enter the combined kitchen and dining hall, and left Usopp alone on deck. </p><p>For some reason, Usopp felt himself drawn to the door. </p><p>He didn’t open it. Something stopped him. Something invisible and strong. </p><p>He pressed his ear towards the door. A soft, restrained sob reached his ears. “I-, I need to talk to Usopp…” Buggy whispered to himself. A little reminder of his goal. But it was weak. Weak and almost broken. </p><p>Usopp walked away. </p><p>He’d wait until nightfall before he did anything.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Fifth Meeting: Aboard the Going Merry Pt.2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Usopp and Buggy make up :^))</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have now gotten into Among Us. If any of you see a yellow dude called "Homie" running around in a light blue cap, assume I'm the imposter. </p><p>Also, finally! Romance!!</p><p>For the sake of my sanity, Usopp's rank in this chapter is: Commodore(unofficial), Fifth Highest</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Usopp stared, arms crossed and brows knitted. </p><p>Buggy was still sleeping. A soft, almost unnoticeable snore filled the cell, less than a breeze. With a nose like that, Usopp had expected him to snore like a rhinoceros, but not so. It might be his situation, what with being arrested and heading to his certain doom and all. </p><p>Somehow, knowing he had arrested Buggy and succeeded in his life-goal just didn’t make Usopp any happy. If anything, he felt conflicted.</p><p>Seeing Buggy in handcuffs…</p><p>Usopp let out a dry, choked laugh. </p><p>“-Gh!?” Buggy jerked up and out of bed, tumbling out of it with all the grace of a mermaid in a fishnet, the blanket tying itself around his foot and midsection. “W-, who, what, where??” His voice was tiny and terrified as his wide eyes stared out into the darkness. He knew he wasn’t alone.</p><p>Usopp decided not to (literally) keep Buggy in the dark any longer, and turned on a nearby gas-lit lamp.</p><p>“...” Buggy didn’t say anything at first. He blinked at the sudden light, dry eyes falling on Usopp. He blinked again. “Y-, you!!”</p><p>Usopp felt like running away. “Yeah, me.”</p><p>“I-, I-,” Buggy trembled where he laid on the floor, tied up in his one comfort, “the hell are you here for? To behold your prize?? Is that it, greenhorn?!”</p><p>Usopp almost felt insulted that that was the thing Buggy thought Usopp wanted. It almost seemed like he was looking down on him. Thinking he saw Buggy as a prize. But he didn’t voice these thoughts. Instead, he simply shook his head. “-No. That isn’t why.”</p><p>“Then, why?...” It was an earnest plea. A need to know why his captor would grant him an audience after so long.</p><p>Usopp glanced away, back hunching slightly. “I… I don’t know.” Buggy almost burst out laughing, but Usopp continued. “I guess… Just leaving you here to rot didn’t leave a good aftertaste, yknow?”</p><p>Buggy scoffed. “The hell do you care? You’re a marine! I’m a pirate! Who gives a shit?”</p><p>‘-But you’re so much more than that,’ Usopp thought. But he didn’t say it, partially because he didn’t know what he meant, mostly because he didn’t want Buggy to know. Know what? His emotions? What he thought of the dread pirate? Hah! Like he felt anything apart from rivalry! </p><p>Why else would he go to the Grand Line?</p><p>What other reason could there possibly be?</p><p>Usopp bit his lips, an aggressive flush overtaking his cheeks. “...I do. I give a shit about what happens to you.”</p><p>Buggy drew himself into a sitting position.</p><p>------</p><p>He’d almost forgotten his original plan. </p><p>Maybe it wasn’t that he’d forgotten it so much that he’d given up all hope. What Garp and Roger had just wasn’t something that could happen over the course of a few months. Not unless some really strong emotional push was in place. Such as hatred. That would fit pretty well with how Usopp had treated him aboard this little ship. </p><p>...But it didn’t really fit with how Usopp treated him whenever they actually met. </p><p>No, the only other strong emotion that could lead to this sort of perseverance would be…</p><p>“...BWAHAHAHAH!” Buggy guffawed at the mere idea! Usopp? In love? With him??</p><p>No, the mere idea was so ridiculous that Buggy, head thrown back and chest seizing in laughter barely noticed how flustered Usopp became at the sight. “Wh-, what’s wrong?”</p><p>Buggy grinned to himself. “I just had the stupidest thought. You wouldn’t believe me if I said it, though!”</p><p>Usopp plopped down on the floor, arms and legs crossed. “-Oh yeah?”</p><p>Buggy stared at him blankly. “No, seriously. You wouldn’t.”</p><p>“...Try me,” Usopp said, squinting. </p><p>Buggy scoffed. “No way.” No way he was telling a marine he thought he might be in love with him. That might just be on the same level as asking him to drop him in the ocean! Or, even better, toss him into Mariejois to act as serving-plates for the guys up top! “I am not telling you my thoughts. They’re private!”</p><p>“Thoughts can’t be private property. Isn’t that the whole point of talking?”</p><p>Buggy blushed, something that was all-too-obvious since most of his white make-up had melted off by the second day. “N-, not so! Hey! I have no idea what you mean, but I’m not telling you anything! Not without a lawyer around!”</p><p>Usopp grinned smugly. “Pirates can’t have lawyers. And even if they could, I have every right not to hand you one! I’m the master of this ship, and what I say goes!”</p><p>Buggy scratched his cheek, actively repressing his urge to snap something back at the youngster. “Y’know, you never did tell me how the hell you got so strong.” From Buggy’s point of view, he’d met Usopp a grand total of four times, and every time he did, the newbie was equally weak. He seemed to increase in rank alright, but that seemed more like cosmetics than anything. Seemed. “What rank are you even? Petty Officer?”</p><p>“Hey! I’m a Commodore!” Suddenly, Usopp stopped, glanced away, and frowned sadly. “Or, well, I’ll be in a while. It isn’t official yet, so I’m technically just a Commander.”</p><p>“The hell’s a Commodore?” Buggy asked, leaning his head like a confused puppy. </p><p>Usopp’s face scrunched up. “-How do you not know what a Commodore is?”</p><p>“Look, buddy, I know a grand total of like, uhh… onetwo… Five ranks, and those are chore-boy, petty officer, captain, admiral and vice-admiral. I have no idea what the rest are.” He squinted for a second. “And-, and I only know ‘em cuz they’re the only ones important to my conquest! I’ve no need for lower ranked scum, anyways!”</p><p>Usopp sighed, his hands massaging his temples. “Okay, so, um. Will it help if I say a Commodore is above a Captain but below a Vice-Admiral? Does that help?”</p><p>“Maybe? I still don’t really care. Are Commodores strong? Otherwise, it wouldn’t explain how you slugged cannonballs around like they were pebbles.</p><p>Usopp blushed oddly. “Did-, I-, um, did I do that?” He scratched his cheek, seemingly flustered by the revelation, “I didn’t, uh, do anything weird did I?... I usually don’t throw cannonballs around, I just put them in my pillow. It’s good for your-,”</p><p>“-Good for my back, sure, sure. Look, it was impressive! Garp did that too, y’know?”</p><p>Usopp flinched at the name. “G-, Garp the Hero? You know him??”</p><p>“Heh, more like knew. And, yeah, he’d throw cannonballs at Roger’s ship like it was nothing, and Roger would always hit them back like a ping-ping ball. Really impressive, but I-, w-, wait,” Buggy suddenly realized he might not want a marine knowing he was on the past Pirate-King’s ship, “I-, forget what I just said, yeah?”</p><p>Usopp stared at him blankly. “-Forget what?”</p><p>“You know what? It’s nothing. I didn’t say anything. Yup.”</p><p>“...You’re acting pretty suspiciously, y’know?”</p><p>As if he didn’t know that himself. Buggy glared at Usopp before turning away, choosing to lay his eyes on something that wasn’t quite so childish. Knowing he’d been captured by this greenhorn of all fucking people… It almost made him sick. He really just asked for it. Going into a marine base was a stupid move, but even worse was the fact that he pracically encouraged Usopp to come after him.</p><p>He didn’t expect anything from him. He didn’t think that some squirt from the weakest sea would actually get strong just to get to him. </p><p>He miscalculated, and it’s all this fucking guy’s fault.</p><p>“-Buggy, everything alright?” he asked, as if he genuinely cared. Somehow, this annoyed Buggy. It made his mind cloud, teeth grinding in irritation. Scowl creeping onto his face, he turned to Usopp, eyes dark.</p><p>“Like you care!” he snapped, fists balling at his sides. “Nothing’s alright! If there’s one fucking constant in my life, it’s that!”</p><p>Usopp flinched under the sudden harsh words, bringing Buggy some form of savage, unhappy glee. “You’re just the final straw. Some amalgamation of all my stupid mistakes coming to haunt me.”</p><p>“B-, Buggy-,”  Usopp said, trembling.</p><p>“No. Shut up. You made me loosen up. You always do that, don’t you? Whenever we meet, you just go running your mouth off as if we aren’t locked in some desperate, futile struggle that can only end in death. As if you aren’t taking me to Impel Down. As if you didn’t capture me yourself.”</p><p>“I-, I didn’t-,”</p><p>“Didn’t what?” Buggy growled. “Didn’t stick me in this cell yourself? Didn’t tell your subjects not to tell me jack shit? Didn’t leave me to rot??”</p><p>“I didn’t!” Usopp said, voice desperate. “I didn’t just leave you to rot, I’m here now! I’m right here!”</p><p>Buggy scoffed. “Right, that makes up for that. Makes up for cracking the skulls of my dearest friends. Makes up for taking everything I had. Makes up for-,” a tear, unwelcome and intrusive rolled down his cheek, bringing with it the few splotches of white paint still covering his face. “Makes up for… for taking my fucking make-up. Leaving me exposed like this. It’s all I’ve got left, the only damn constant in my life apart from how shit it is.” He wiped at his face, recoiling softly at noticing his hand whitened. “I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”</p><p>Usopp gave him a look. A soft, pitying, ashamed look that told Buggy everything he didn’t want to know. Then, he stood up, cape billowing slightly as he left the room. </p><p>Left Buggy to wallow in his misery. Another heavy tear fell. He didn’t feel like wiping it away. Didn’t want any more of his little defences rubbed off on his hand. He was such a fucking idiot. Getting this guy to like him enough was his only hope of surviving. And he let his emotions get the better of him. Ran his mouth like it couldn’t lead to his demise. Such a fucking idiot. </p><p>This was probably the end. He’d sit here in his little cell, in this little boat and await his little end. Barely a drop in the big sea. </p><p>Pathetic. Maybe he was lucky that such an insignificant creature like himself was erased off of the face of the world this easily? Maybe he was lucky he was going to d-,</p><p>The door opened with a shy creak, and Usopp returned. Buggy stared as he descended the stairs carefully, his hands filled with… with something Buggy recognized all too well. A small, white case. Filled with all the toiletries Buggy needed to keep up his image. </p><p>Usopp placed the case on the floor in front of the cell. When Buggy tried to reach out to grab it, Usopp stopped him. “-No. I brought it to you, but I can’t let you have it. As… as much as I want you to have this, I can’t just hand it over to you.”</p><p>Buggy’s face twisted in incomprehension as he slowly retracted his hand. “What? You went out of your way to bring it here just to leave it right outside my cell? You’ve got some damn gall-,”</p><p>“No. I just… I won’t let you do it. Yourself, that is.” While Buggy only grew more confused, Usopp glanced away at some undefined spot, cheeks blooming pink flushes. “-According to protocol, we can’t return items to a prisoner, no matter the situation.” Before Buggy could criticize what Usopp said, pointing out how that hardly helped his case, Usopp continued. “-But it doesn’t say anything about using their items ourselves.”</p><p>Oh. Ohhh.</p><p>“You-, you aren’t saying what I think you are, are you?...”</p><p>Usopp popped open the lid of the case. “-I am.”</p><p>Buggy kind of wanted to say no. To deny this marine officer use of his make-up, tell him to just leave it all be and go away, but… Buggy couldn’t bring himself to. And it wasn’t just because he couldn’t handle being privately viewed and done up by someone. It was more than that. When he looked at Usopp, into his childish eyes that lacked true knowledge of the world’s hardships, he just couldn’t say no. “-Okay.”</p><p>Going by the way Usopp’s eyes lit up, he’d made the right choice. Usopp smiled, and took a glance into the case, only for his smile to instantly falter. “I-, um, how do I-?...”</p><p>Buggy’s heart dropped. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now.</p><p>Buggy pointed at a small box filled with tissues. “Do these ones first.”</p><p>“What are these?” Usopp asked, removing one of them. It was wet, and smelled like alcohol.</p><p>“It’s a make-up remover. Painting on an already done-up surface is a bad idea, you’ve gotta-” And then Buggy realized what he was allowing. Maybe Usopp didn’t get it, maybe he didn’t understand why this was such a big deal to Buggy, but… He couldn’t remember the last time someone had seen him fully unmasked. Fully bare. Exposed and true. </p><p>Usopp was staring. “It, uh, it removes make-up! Heh, just-, just like this…” Usopp didn’t let Buggy grab it. </p><p>“Can’t let a prisoner use their items.”</p><p>“But-, but!”</p><p>“Under any circumstances.”</p><p>Buggy growled. “Grr, fine! Whatever. Not like I care about some blind-ass recruit having a go at my face.”</p><p>Usopp blushed. “H-, hey! I’m neither blind nor a recruit!”</p><p>Buggy glanced back at him. They were both sitting down, Buggy cross-legged and cross-armed, Usopp sitting with his legs folded neatly beneath them. Right. Buggy turned his body to face Usopp fully. The marine could barely get a question out before Buggy scooted closer to the bars until he was practically squished up against them. “Uh-, um,”</p><p>And then, he squashed his face up against them. The sides of his face hit two bars, but the rest of it was clear. “Come on. Go at it.”</p><p>“Uh, um,” Usopp stammered, his cheeks red and embarrassed at having Buggy’s face so close to his own. “I, um, okay…”</p><p>He proceeded to also lean in, but was considerably more hesitant about doing so. His hand, still clutching the make-up remover, reached out, moving closer to Buggy’s face. Buggy flinched slightly when it made contact, but didn’t make any attempt at drawing back. A go-signal Usopp couldn’t ignore. </p><p>He let the tissue move over Buggy’s face, wiping off what little white paint was left, revealing colourful skin. There were small blue markings around his eyes, along with a crossed pair of bones over his forehead and eyes. Once Usopp got to these parts, Buggy had to squint his eyes closed to give Usopp the chance to get a proper wipe at them. “Sorry about this…” Usopp mumbled as his other hand reached closer to stretch out Buggy’s slightly wrinkled eyelids. The paint had gotten wedged in between.</p><p>Once that paint was out alongside the drawing on his forehead, he just had one part left. Namely, his lips.</p><p>Usopp was about to wipe them down when Buggy stopped him, hand raised up. “Hey, dude, switch napkin.”</p><p>“Huh? Oh,” Usopp replied absentmindedly, balling the used wipe up while he grabbed another one. Back to the lips. He wanted to wipe them softly and carefully as he had done with the white paint and the eye-decorations, but he quickly realized that doing so would be impossible. The lipstick was of the persistent sort that had to really stick. Usopp grumbled a little apology before he went at it, wiping hard and slowly to really get it out of there. Buggy didn’t even groan in objection. </p><p>And when that was done…</p><p>Usopp leaned out. And for the first time, he got a look at who Buggy really was. </p><p>His skin was light, but still had a clear tan, despite being covered by make-up at all times. His jutting jaw was framed by a pair of blue side-burns, a light stubble covering his chin. Lines around his eyes and mouth proved him to be the kind of man equally prone to bouts of laughter as to enraged scowling. Although his eyes were tired, there was an amused gleam in them, something Usopp couldn’t help but notice had been there all along. </p><p>Usopp’s heart skipped a beat, and he felt yet another blush form on his cheeks. He didn’t bother shaking it off. </p><p>Buggy pointed at one of the many containers in the little box. “-Next up is foundation. Or, uh, I guess, white paint? It isn’t regular foundation. I-, I’d never use the same kinda stuff some pale bimbo would! I’m a man, damn it, this is just for the sake of my image!”</p><p>Usopp nodded as he grabbed it. “‘Course, Buggy.”</p><p>His blind trust brought Buggy to silence. He didn’t say a thing. Not when Usopp tried to apply the make-up, not when he applied it wrong, and especially not when he leaned back out, eyes lighting up. “And-, and then, you just go for… Well, there’s a bunch of stuff, but if you’re not very good at drawing you can just draw a couple of blue triangles under my eyes or something, it isn’t very-,”</p><p>“Nah, I’ve got it,” Usopp said with a confidence Buggy didn’t like. From what he knew, Usopp was good at two things: being persistent and throwing cannonballs. Not drawing. Buggy was absolutely assured that Usopp was about to draw a bunch of dicks and hairy balls on his face.</p><p>“N-, no-, it’s really-,” and he could say no more, for Usopp had already grabbed his black eyeliner (don’t judge him) and drawn something. Right on his forehead.</p><p>“Hold still…” Usopp said, but Buggy really didn’t want to. He wanted to retreat to the furthermost part of his cell, but even if he did so, Usopp, as the captain of this ship, surely had a key and could just enter as he pleased. Goddamn it. All he could do was hold still, face pressed against the bars, hoping none of his subjects would ever try to visit him in Impel Down. “-And there!”</p><p>With such a bright smile, Buggy had almost hoped that Usopp had drawn something nice. Like a bird. Buggy liked birds. They minded their own business. </p><p>Buggy wanted to cry, but if he did, he might never look proper again. “Yeah, looks great, sure.”</p><p>Usopp leaned back, hand rubbing the back of his head and his lips twisted into a goofy grin. “Aww, gee, shucks, thanks, Buggy!”</p><p>“Okay, right. Lastly, there’s the lipstick. Just take the red one and we’ll be fine.”</p><p>Usopp turned back to the box, hand floating above the five or so different lipsticks, and… didn’t grab any of them. “Um, Buggy?” Buggy peeked an eye open. “Is it alright if I use the pink one? It, um… it fits the composition better.”</p><p>“...Sure.” At this point, Buggy was about ready to accept anything. </p><p>...Though Usopp did seem a bit suspicious…</p><p>He grabbed the pink lipstick, popped off the lid and proceeded to stare at it for a bit too long. Ah. “-You’ve gotta twist it around to make the lipstick pop up.”</p><p>“Oh, Okay, yeah,” Usopp mumbled, fumbling with it until the lipstick finally went out. Buggy closed his eyes. Usopp leaned in, hands trembling as he focused himself on Buggy’s lips. Those soft, buttery lips of his. Like cream and strawberries. He gulped, and placed the lipstick against those sweet lips. He didn’t need to press hard for the lipstick to stick. His hands trembled, but he held it steady, as steady as he could. He was a marksman, damnit, and a marksman couldn’t have trembling hands!</p><p>First the upper lip, then the lower lip, untill…</p><p>Well, it looked a bit crooked, but… “-How is it?”</p><p>Seeing the hot-pink lips moving about, transformed by Usopp’s own hands made his heart skip a beat. </p><p>“It’s good,” Usopp said, a soft smile settling on his face. “It’s all good.”</p><p>“You’re sure? And you didn’t, like, draw dicks or something? Once when I went to sleep Nami and Alvida went and drew a dick on my forehead and I didn’t notice all day and-”</p><p>“Hey, I didn’t draw a dick! Sheesh, I’d never do something childish like that!”</p><p>Buggy scratched his cheek. “But you’re a child though?”</p><p>A flush assaulted Usopp’s cheeks once more, of the upset kind. “I-, I’m nineteen! Twenty by next month!” </p><p>Buggy shrugged. “That’s a child.”</p><p>Usopp almost wanted to growl, but his anger died before he even had a chance to realize that’s what it was. It was soon replaced by an odd calm. A warm, glad kind of calm. He was happy. Buggy wasn’t mad at him, he wasn’t mad at Buggy… Maybe it’d be alright? Maybe it’d all be alright in the end?</p><p>Smiling, Usopp rose to his feet, bringing the little make-up box with him. “-I’m going to bed. You should sleep, too.”</p><p>Buggy watched him stand up and stood up as well, purely in response. Buggy felt odd, knowing that he was physically looking down on the shorter Usopp despite Usopp’s power over him. “Y’know, by tomorrow night, this’ll just have rubbed off anyways.”</p><p>Usopp smiled. “Then, I’ll just draw it back on.”</p><p>And he did.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Fifth Meeting: Aboard the Going Merry Pt.3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Updates might be a bit slow cuz I'm eloping with miss hamster 7</p><p>lel jk I value personal goals above interpersonal relationships</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day, Buggy got a good taste of embarrassment first thing in the morning.</p><p>“Waddaya lookin’ at, kid?!” he barked at Carrot. The boy had entered mere seconds ago, but the moment he saw Buggy’s face, he froze in place. Not that Buggy could even see his eyes. After all, the kid had bangs like curtains. It was a surprise he could see at all, but Buggy didn’t question him to his face. “You hungry for a knuckle sandwich?!”</p><p>A little smile blossomed on Carrot’s face like a tiny dandelion. Alongside it, the slightest laugh found its way out, barely stifled by Carrot’s hand. Finally, with that done, he shook his head and descended the stairs. </p><p>As a final gesture, he placed the tray in the cell and took a step back. </p><p>Buggy glanced between the young marine and the food tray. </p><p>It contained a pair of sandwiches, an apple, and a glass of some sort of fruit juice. Together with a small note. “Eat up, big-nose!” it said, the bottom corner signed with a little drawing of who Buggy could only assume was Usopp. </p><p>“W-, WHO’S A BIG-NOSE, LONG-NOSE!?” Buggy roared, ripping the note from where it sat, crumpling it into a little ball and promptly stuffing it into his own mouth. He chewed for a few seconds, arms crossed tightly, before he realized what he just did. “Wh-, ew, shit, ptuh, ptuh!” </p><p>The half-chewed piece of paper splattered to the ground.</p><p>He glanced up. Carrot was still standing there. “Um, uh. You didn’t see that, did you?”</p><p>Carrot rubbed his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head at noticing Buggy’s dark glare. Didn’t see nothing, yessir.</p><p>Buggy nodded and turned back to the tray. He grabbed one of the sandwiches. It felt soft and springy, meaning that the bread was likely newly baked. He couldn’t tell what the inside was filled with, but he didn’t care to check it. Instead, he took a bite, chewed and swallowed. peanut-butter and jelly. </p><p>Something here felt off. Not the sandwich or anything, just… Wait, he wasn’t alone.</p><p>“-Somethin’ bothering ya, kid?” Buggy asked Carrot, taking another bite of the sandwich. </p><p>Carrot made an odd little sound of surprise before shaking his head, a sheepish smile on his face. He scratched his head, and turned to leave. </p><p>“...No, wait.”</p><p>Carrot stopped in place and glanced back.</p><p>“Tell the greenhorn… No, tell Usopp I’ll eat. Tell him that.”</p><p>Carrot smiled, nodded, and walked out.</p><p>Buggy hadn’t eaten in so long. He’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have a full stomach. He’d almost forgotten what a really good sandwich tasted like. It was good. It was very, very good. It didn’t taste like pulp or newspaper or anything like that at all. It just tasted like breakfast. A warm, lovely breakfast.</p><p>He grabbed the red apple and almost crushed it in his grip. It wasn’t just an apple, after all. Someone had carved something onto it. A pair of eyes, a big full-lipped smile, and…</p><p>“WHO’S GOT A BIG RED NOSE!?!” Buggy screamed into the empty room, apple raised high in preparation to smash it into the ground. But he halted his hand. There was something else to this apple. He’d noticed it just out of the corner of his eye. He lowered the apple, letting his eyes run over the details of it. It was well-sculpted. A well-sculpted apple resembling his face. More specifically, what was drawn on it. </p><p>There was a spade sign on his forehead, large but not overwhelmingly so. From this spade sign, two arrows protruded like arrows puncturing a heart. These arrowheads went down and through his eyes. The final details were a pair of upside-down hearts below his eyes. Compared to his usual motifs, it was… a bit odd. Less so something a pirate would wear and more so something a genuine clown would wear. </p><p>Somehow, he didn’t feel insulted in the least. </p><p>He ate the apple, and drank his juice. It was tasty. Real tasty.</p><p>------ </p><p>“Hey, Apprentices, you know you can’t sit by this table!” Usopp scolded. Carrot, Pepper and Onion didn’t seem any inclined to rise though. They were all smiling oddly, giving each other knowing glances. Usopp gestured to the other people sitting at the table. “This table is only for officers!”</p><p>“Hey, hey, Usopp-chan, they can stay, can’t they?” the oddly dressed Bon Clay said, waving his hand with a grin. “If they wanna hang out with the big shots, who’s to stop them?”</p><p>“...Ensign, don’t step outta line, this is adult matte-,”</p><p>“Buggy ate his breakfast!” Onion blurted out. Once he noticed what he’d said, he clasped his hands over his mouth, but it was too late. Two fists bonked his head to a chorus of “idiot!”</p><p>Usopp stared at them, sandwich frozen mere inches from his gaping maw. “-He did?” </p><p>The three former Usopp pirates turned to each other, grinned, and nodded all at once. </p><p>Usopp smiled softly. “Well, ermm, I guess, as honorary Usopp pirate members, you may sit at this table. But only today!”</p><p>The three youngsters shared a mischievous look and got to eating. </p><p>-------</p><p>“You ATE the apple!?” Usopp screeched at finding his beloved creation little more than a seedy core. Overcome by emotion, he almost dropped the little white box.</p><p>Buggy burped. “Hey, who wouldn’t? It’s part of a healthy nutritious breakfast!”</p><p>“It, but, I-,, don’t you clowns have clown eggs to keep track of who has used what faces? I thought-, I was so proud of it, I wanted it to be a bit more of a, y‘know, permanent fixture?” </p><p>“Some clowns do use clown eggs, yes, but I don’t. Why? Cuz’ I’m a pirate!” Buggy said, spreading his arms wide in pride. Usopp didn’t quite understand what he meant. Couldn’t you be both a clown and a pirate? Wasn’t that his whole schtick? “-And even if I did use clown eggs, there’s a reason we use eggs and not apples. No chance of rotting.”</p><p>Usopp stared at Buggy for a moment, taking in how absolutely smug the imprisoned captain looked, what with that grin and everything. “...I’m leaving,” Usopp said and spun on his heel.</p><p>“No-, wait! Nooo, don’t go, greenhorn! I’ll behave, I swear!”</p><p>A glance ensured that Buggy was, indeed, showcasing his most effective puppy-eyes, including having his lower-lip pout out. “...Well, okay. Sure. But you owe me an apple!”</p><p>------</p><p>The evening passed rather similarly to the last one. He wiped off the make-up from last night (though unwillingly, he’d gotten rather attached to it), wallowed in Buggy’s true face, applied a new design, and that was that. The night was young, and Usopp had no reason to stay down by the cell. </p><p>Other than his emotions, that is. If he could choose himself, he’d gladly stay up all night with Buggy. To-, to keep an eye on him, that is! </p><p>Buggy is still a high-risk prisoner, and so it only made sense that Usopp, as a high-ranking marine, would be tasked with keeping an eye on him. Well, technically speaking, tasking a Commodore with keeping an eye on a single prisoner was a bit of a hyperbole. Not even a Lieutenant would normally be tasked with such a mundane duty. </p><p>And yet… here he was. </p><p>“You know what we need?” Buggy said, leaning in closer to Usopp while his newly-painted face twisted into a cunning grimace. “Booze.”</p><p>Usopp squinted. “No. No way. Dude, I’m only-”</p><p>“You’re almost twenty!” Buggy argued sensibly, his shackles clacking together as he threw his hands to the skies in indignation. “Practically an adult!”</p><p>“I am an adult! But-, but I’m also the captain of these ships, and I can’t just steal liquor to-, to give to a prisoner of all things!” Usopp said, shaking his head decisively.</p><p>“Sure you can! As the captain of these ships, you can do-, wait. Hold on. These ships?” </p><p>Usopp gave him a blank stare. “Well, yeah. Ships. Vergo let me borrow two of his warships and a few hundred of his soldiers while we transported you to Impel Down. They’re only coming along to get to HQ though, so I’m only temporarily governing over them, but they still respect me alright.” Usopp furrowed his brows. “-How did you not see them? All the higher-ranks from these ships get together in the mornings and evenings, you should have seen them from the window!”</p><p>Buggy crossed his arms. “I wasn’t looking, duh.” A glance from Usopp prompted Buggy to continue. “W-, well, y’see, I wasn’t looking for marine ships, per se.”</p><p>“You were looking for…” Usopp put two and two together. “-Your own ships?”</p><p>Buggy glanced away. </p><p>“You were! Why, I’ll have you know, we haven’t seen them yet, and we probably never will. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing though…”</p><p>If Usopp was conflicted, Buggy was ten times worse off. He’d weighed the pros and cons so much that he could no longer consider them without breaking into hysterics. If they came, it was bad. If they stayed away, that was bad. There was no good to be had here. With a single possible exception. “You sure we can’t have a drink? Just two beers, bro-to-bro?”</p><p>Usopp jerked at the casual greeting. Bro. A blush spread evenly across his cheeks. “Mrr, just… only one, okay?”</p><p>Buggy grinned. “Only one,” he lied. </p><p>Giving an unhappy murr, Usopp rose from his seat and left Buggy to wonder how in the world that justice coat didn’t fly off Usopp’s shoulder every time he did anything. Maybe they glued it to the suit? Ah, then again, Usopp didn’t wear a suit. </p><p>No, he wore a free, boyish light-blue vest with a pair of matching dress pants, alongside a dark-blue shirt and a white tie. Apparently, once you got to a high enough rank, you could no longer wear anything even remotely casual. Man, Buggy sure was glad he’d never even considered becoming a marine. He didn’t look much good in suits, so skipping out on that was a clever choice.</p><p>...The purple vest he was wearing right now was an exception.</p><p>The door creaked open once more, revealing a surprisingly skittish Usopp. “What’s the matter, greenhorn? You look like you made a ghost!”</p><p>“I-, what? What does that even mean?” Saying so, Usopp descended the stairs, holding a single bottle of beer. Just one. </p><p>Buggy eyed Usopp disapprovingly. “What’s that supposed to be? I’m not sharing a beer with you if it’s a single bottle, buster!”</p><p>As soon as Usopp got the door closed (and took a peek outside to make sure nobody saw him), he opened up his coat, revealing another bottle, hidden in the empty arm-hole. “-Geez, I wouldn’t do you dirty like that, cool it!”</p><p>Usopp tossed the bottle into the cell, which Buggy grabbed after a few seconds of fumbling for it. Once he had it in his grasps, he grinned ferally. God, he was parched alright. Hadn’t had a good drink in, what? A week? Two? Who knew. Too long, that is. Buggy brought the brew to his dry lips, and immediately felt the bitter betrayal. “-Dude, you didn’t even open it. What’s wrong with-,”</p><p>Usopp flicked open the cap with one finger. “-Wassup?”</p><p>After a moment’s pause and a moment’s stunned stare, Buggy reached his bottle out through the bars, watching in silent awe as Usopp flicked it open. At least it tasted as sweet as nectar. He’d needed that. He glanced up, watching how Usopp flinched from the taste of the meek beer. “...You’re kinda weak, aren’t you?”</p><p>Usopp seemed deeply offended. “Am not!” And a second later, as if to prove his case, Usopp rolled up one of his dark-blue sleeves, revealing a surprisingly muscular arm. He flexed it a few times, proving his strength. “I could easily lift you if I wanted to!”</p><p>“Oh, I don’t doubt that.” Buggy took a sip of his beer. “But, see, I didn’t mean it like that.”</p><p>Usopp gave him a blank stare. “Then, how-,”</p><p>“Try chugging that beer.” Usopp sputtered. All Buggy did was grin. “-Betcha can’t.”</p><p>Usopp glanced at the bottle before breaking out into an assured smirk. “Easy!”</p><p>The moment he finished the first bottle, Buggy challenged him to do yet another. His duties as a captain were calling to him, telling him this was something that could easily make him lose most ranks he’d gained, but… Despite what he said, he was far too weak to alcohol to debate Buggy.</p><p>In the end, all he could do was leave and return with an entire keg of beer. Buggy beamed at the sight. “Ohohoho, now we’re talking!” Usopp handed him one of the beers, making sure to flick it open first. “Wait. Hold on. That color scheme, that seagull… Are these marine beers??”</p><p>Usopp shrugged. “Uhh, yeah, um, yup. Guys up top won't let us drink nothing they didn’t make themselves.”</p><p>“Seriously?” Buggy took a swig of it. “-Bleh! What is this, water? They feed you water when you could have real beer??”</p><p>“I, um… I think it’s pretty good? Like, I’m not much for the strong stuff, it hurts my-,”</p><p>“Hey, dude. We’re gonna get you plastered, and I won't let you do that with this as your guide. You’ve gotta have stronger stuff, right? Like… like rum! Or whiskey! Anything that’ll make your stomach churn like the bowels of Impel Down!”</p><p>Can’t disagree with that. Seemed sort of rebellious, but Usopp could faintly recall that they did have a few bottles of Marine Certified Hard Liquor. </p><p>Usopp swallowed his drink and left to go grab them. </p><p>Buggy drank his beer. It wasn’t actually that bad, but he absolutely wanted to see Usopp get smashed. He was the weak type, clearly didn’t drink often or a lot, so seeing a physically strong guy like him get shitfaced would surely make Buggy’s evening a whole lot more enjoyable. </p><p>Certainly, less than a minute later and Usopp returned, stumbling downstairs with half a dozen bottles in tow. “-I didn’t know which one you’d like so I grabbed, uhh, most of them?”</p><p>“Ohohohoho! Would ya look at that!” Two of the bottles seemed to be of the Marine brand, but the rest were not. One was a tequila from Alabasta, another was a rare gin from the fishman island down below, and the list went on. It was almost impressive what kind of drink they had on this unassuming little caravel. “And you brought glasses?”</p><p>Usopp innocently presented a pair of beer mugs. “Yup!”</p><p>Maybe Buggy should have argued with him, told him that people seriously shouldn’t drink tequila from a beer mug, but at this point, he just wanted to see how drunk Usopp could get. “Sounds good to me.”</p><p>An hour later and Usopp was pretty much ready to pass out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Fifth Meeting: Aboard the Going Merry Pt.4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>aw yiss comment y'all</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I miss them so much!” Buggy cried, squashing his face and body against the bars. “D’ya think they remember me? Huh, do ya??”</p>
<p>Usopp mumbled something incomprehensible. “Yhehyhe they cooool…”</p>
<p>“They ARE! The’re just-,, just so so cool, and I just,” a sob escaped Buggy’s throat, “I just left them! Why did I ever do that? I love them bastards and I just gave ‘em the shaft and said buh-bye!” His stony shackles clacked against an empty bottle of gin which rolled away.</p>
<p>Usopp blinked slowly. “Well um, uh, uhhh, like, see, um, didn’t, I… like, capture you? Like that’s… that’s why you’re away from your friends?”</p>
<p>It was a good point. Buggy scratched his stubbled cheek. “-Hey, you did! Man, that was mean!”</p>
<p>Usopp broke down into subs. “I’m um, I’m soweeeyyyyy!” </p>
<p>Buggy reached through the bars, placing his hand on Usopp’s caped shoulder. “There there buddy. I forgive you. Probably.”</p>
<p>“R-, really?...”</p>
<p>“Probably yeah I mean I dunno how I’ll feel tomorrow but yeah we’re cool.”</p>
<p>Although Usopp had no idea what Buggy said, it did make him feel a bit better. “Oh, um, arrite, I’m gunna go to sleep now, bye byeeeeee-”</p>
<p>“COMMODORE USOPP!!” someone cried, bursting open the door with violent force that instantly awoke Usopp.</p>
<p>He sprang to his feet, eyes wide awake and hand raised in an instinctive salute at the sudden intrusion. “Y-, Yessir! NosirIdidn’tstealthealcoholpleasesirIhaveawifeand-,” suddenly, his salute faltered. “Hey, waitaminute… I’m not a Commodore! Yet!”</p>
<p>Onion stared at the two drinking-buddies, appalled. “S-, sir, you don’t understand, that isn’t-,”</p>
<p>KABOOM!</p>
<p>A violent explosion rocked the Merry, sending both bottles and pirate captain tumbling with the force of it. The single gaslamp in the room swayed from side to side. Usopp’s eyes, previously dim under the effect of one-glass-too-many now lit up in realization. “W-, we’re being attacked!?”</p>
<p>“Yessir, we need you on deck, it’s an emerge-,”</p>
<p>“Who are they?” Buggy croaked, gloved hands gripping the bars desperately. “What crew is attacking?” Any possible bravado Buggy had kept up until now was shed. “Is it-,”</p>
<p>“It isn’t the Buggy pirates,” Onion said. “It’s the Bellamy pirates. We need to act quickly, Sir!”</p>
<p>Usopp nodded, his head as heavy as an unfired cannonball. Oh, yeah.</p>
<p>“Buggy, watch this,” Usopp slurred, a grin manifesting on his flushed face. Buggy had told him it was cool when Garp the Hero threw cannonballs, hadn’t he? Well, as stupid as it was, Usopp sort of really wanted to show off a little. Show Buggy he wasn’t weak at all. Show him he could protect him if he needed. </p>
<p>“Wh-,” Buggy couldn’t respond before Usopp left with Onion in tow. What the hell had he meant by that?</p>
<p>A whistling sound rang out like a boiling tea-kettle before another crash exploded into the water, rocking the boat once more and sending Buggy reeling. He cursed and threw himself at the window, staring out at the situation as best as he could. The night was black and tumultuous, dark blue clouds swirling about like unhappy ghasts, heavy drops of rain smattering against all ships present like whips. </p>
<p>Buggy could see a ship out there. Eccentric with pink details, sporting an oddly spherical figurehead like that of a round skull. He didn’t recognize it in the least, but going by the size of it, it was no small-timer crew. Bellamy pirates… The name didn’t ring a single bell. </p>
<p>Suddenly, two large warships appeared from the sides of the Merry, shielding the smaller vessel with their heavy girth. </p>
<p>It was hard to see from so far away, but Buggy would have recognized that white coat and tuft of black hair standing atop one of the warships anyday. </p>
<p>It was Usopp. </p>
<p>Beside him, he carried a large bag of somethings. Buggy had absolutely no idea to make of him. Despite the winds ripping into him and the rain crashing into him from all sides, when Usopp turned his head towards Buggy, he easily gave him a thumbs-up and an assured grin. As if they weren’t being attacked by pirates.</p>
<p>...Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to get the strongest guy on all these three ships black-out drunk. Seemed like a self-goal right there, what with the invading pirates and all. </p>
<p>While Buggy grumbled over what a stupid idiot fool he’d been, Usopp reached into the bag and grabbed a cannonball. He weighed it in his hand, feeling the weight of it. Then, he leaned back, took aim, grinned, and threw it. </p>
<p>If Buggy hadn’t seen it happen, he would’ve assumed that the whistling and the way it crashed into the pirate ship would be the result of a cannon firing. Not a youngster throwing it. </p>
<p>Usopp pumped his fist in the air, turned around, and gave Buggy a peace sign while the pirate ship behind him caught on fire.</p>
<p>The rain might have put it out, had Usopp not grabbed another ball of lead and thrown it at much the same speeds. It hit the mast squarely, wood and metal groaning as the main mast collapsed into the deck, the crow’s nest splashing into the sea as the unfurled sail draped over parts of the sea and boat, wet fabric making contact with soaked pirates. </p>
<p>Usopp cackled and threw another one. And another one. And another. </p>
<p>He was a machine-gun of activity, pelting the burning pirate ship with overwhelming physical force. Buggy could do nothing but stare. His awe slowly but surely turned to fear. Liking him to Garp the Fist had been all too right. This man, if he tried, was a damn force of nature. The Bellamy pirates hadn’t even stood a chance. </p>
<p>Maybe Buggy was lucky he wasn’t on Usopp’s bad side. Maybe he was lucky his own crew hadn’t tried to invade yet. Maybe he was damn lucky only he was going to Impel Down, and not in a coffin either. </p>
<p>He’d really befriended a little monster.</p>
<p>Said little monster was currently waving and yahooing as the burning pirate ship sunk behind them. Buggy hesitantly returned the wave.</p>
<p>--------</p>
<p>“Who are you waving to, Commodore?” the borrowed G-5 soldier grinned teasingly, “your girlfriend?”</p>
<p>Usopp sputtered. “I-, am NOT! And-, and if you keep spouting such lies, I’ll, uhhh, I’ll have you thrown overboard! Or something!” Despite his harsh words and dangerous threats, the marine in question didn’t seem frightened in the least.</p>
<p>“Oohhh, scary~” he said, floating off into the crowd of happily shouting marines. Usopp growled in his wake, but found himself unable to muster any sort of anger. </p>
<p>Even if he felt more emberassed than before, his face didn’t show it, mostly because the alcohol had already reddened it to such an extent that no amount of childish teasing could worsen it. Girlfriend. Heh. Like Buggy was his girlfriend. No way, no way. Nai wa. They were rivals, locked in an eternal battle! Men having a go at each other, fighting when the situation presented itself!</p>
<p>No way he’d actually want to be romantically involved with Buggy of all people. </p>
<p>His heart skipped a beat.</p>
<p>Did… did he? </p>
<p>Usopp clutched his chest, trying to still his quickening heart. Stop it from doing such a damn accelerando. Hold the den-den mushi, Usopp. Quell any such thoughts! That just-, it wasn’t… No. He couldn’t push these thoughts away. He’d done so too many times before. He had to accept the facts of the matter. </p>
<p>There was something about Buggy. Something about him that made his heart beat faster and made his mind turn pink and made him want to follow him to the ends of the earth. </p>
<p>Maybe it wasn’t rivalry. </p>
<p>Maybe it was love. </p>
<p>-------</p>
<p>When Usopp returned a few minutes after the Bellamy pirates had been sunk, he seemed… somewhat absent. And it wasn’t just the alcohol getting to him, either. </p>
<p>“Uh, everything alright there, sport?” Buggy asked, finally removing himself from the window to take his seat by the bars. Usopp followed along as well, pushing away an empty bottle before sitting down, head hung heavy in his hand. “You seem kinda, what’s the word… distant?”</p>
<p>Buggy barely caught the glance Usopp threw to him. It was of that fleeting sort, just a quick look. Barely anything at all. “I dunno, Buggy.”</p>
<p>“So, uh,” Buggy gave a short snort, “you think Onion’s gonna report ya to the guys up top? Get your licence revoked? Or something?”</p>
<p>Usopp shook his head, smiling a little. “Nah, if we wanted to report each other, I could report him for being in a pirate-, wait… hold on, how’d you know his name?” For a moment, Usopp actually met Buggy’s gaze. But the second he did, his cheeks blossomed another kind of blush and he turned away, anxiously gnawing at his lip. </p>
<p>“...Are you sure you’re alright there, greenhorn?”</p>
<p>Usopp waved his hands. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” his eyes turned soft, and the final part came out as a mumble more than anything, “t-, thanks for caring…”</p>
<p>Buggy didn’t really get it. “No worries. And I knew his name cuz… he kinda looks like an onion? I didn’t think he’d actually be called that, though! BWAHAHAHAH!”</p>
<p>Hearing Buggy laugh made Usopp feel better. Somehow. </p>
<p>Here in the same room, sitting right next to him, Usopp couldn’t possibly deny it anymore. He felt something for Buggy, and it sure wasn’t of the hateful sort. It was like a cloud of strawberries and candyfloss, puffy and sweet and wonderful and he hated that it had to be Buggy of all people. A clown. A pirate. A pirate clown. </p>
<p>A pirate clown he was bringing to Impel Down himself. </p>
<p>Was this how his second love would play out? Fall in love with some evil pirate warlord, and then bring him to the execution block himself? He just couldn’t catch a break, could he?</p>
<p>Then again, at least… at least it was Buggy. Buggy was a pretty nice guy. Apart from the killing and robbing and pirating and all that. Actually, as a matter of fact, Buggy was a pretty terrible person and maybe he should be happy he wouldn’t live much longer. </p>
<p>...Not even Usopp, the greatest liar he knew could bring himself to believe such a falsehood. </p>
<p>He couldn’t possibly be happy about any of this. If he was able to, he’d rather like to just hand Buggy over to his own crew and let them loose. God only knew how many would suffer at his hands, but… Maybe that was a consequence Usopp was willing to face? If it meant Buggy could live another day…</p>
<p>N-, no! </p>
<p>Usopp fervently shook his head, his need to protect civilians and his own love clashing like pink and green. “I-, I’ve gotta go,” Usopp grumbled. He couldn’t bear to think about it. </p>
<p>“Huh? You sure you're alright, you seem-,”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Goodnight.”</p>
<p>Buggy watched as Usopp stumbled up the stairs hurriedly. Maybe he had work to get to? Then again, he was already at work, so…</p>
<p>Oh well. “Sleep tight, greenhorn.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Fifth Meeting: Aboard the Going Merry Pt.5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay okay two things, firstly, it's a damn bummer I can't transfer the emboldening and italics and stuff from my google doc cuz I dunno how to do that here so some parts might seem weird, and, secondly...</p><p>I'm gonna take a teeny tiny break from this fic to write ANOTHER fic.</p><p>Namely, uhhh... how do I explain this...</p><p>Y'all know among us? With imposters and stuff? It'll be a One Piece/Among Us crossover. Starring ten One Piece characters (Marco(cyan), Shanks(red), Buggy(blue), Smoker(white), Kizaru(yellow), Usopp(orange), Teach(black), Zoro(green), Doffy(pink) and Caesar(purple)) with two being imposters trying to kill everyone. Each chapter will be told from the perspective of one member, and every chapter will end with said character croaking. Dying. Whether it be ejection or murder. And, no, it isn't that they're playing the game or something, I ain't foolin' around like that, it's just straight-up the actual characters, obviously lacking in powers and strength, that is. </p><p>So, yeah, I'll be working on that, heheheheh. I'm looking forward to it, and I hope y'all will be too! C'y'all, and remember to comment!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The days went fast. Every night Usopp would paint a new design on Buggy’s face and every morning they were just a bit closer to Impel Down. It was a comfortable, easy living that almost made Usopp forget all about what the actual purpose of this ride was. Or, rather, where they were taking Buggy. </p><p>If he hated thinking about his minor (really, really small) crush on Buggy, he despised thinking about this fact tenfold that. </p><p>Still, he enjoyed the simplicity of it. Days and nights of easy skies and calm waves. Though, since they didn’t have any more alcohol (not after that drinking party they didn’t), both Usopp and Buggy had to abstain for a while. To Usopp, this was a rather good thing. He quickly came to find out that while drunk, he did a lot of stupid shit he’d forgotten by the next day. </p><p>According to Buggy and the rest of his crew, he’d pelted the Bellamy pirates to death, throwing cannonballs at them like Garp the Fucking Hero. </p><p>Who-, how? Really, Usopp couldn’t even imagine himself being strong enough to throw a cannonball more than twenty meters at most, and now he was being told he threw them at a ship with the accuracy of a skilled marksman (nice to know he was still a sure shot even with ten promille in his blood)? Like it was nothing? Maybe he should consider adding cannonballs to his regular outfit? Just in case there was a ship in need of pelting?</p><p>Usopp flipped open a paper, wondering briefly if Buggy would like a paper to read. He didn’t seem like the type to read the news, but he might wonder about-,</p><p>“Commodore!” </p><p>Usopp glanced up at Pepper. “For the last time, Pepper, I’m not a Commodore YET-,”</p><p>“Ship sighted, sir!” Onion said with a trembling salute. The only one missing now would be…</p><p>“A pirate ship, sir!” Carrot reported, also doing that very same shaky salute. Usopp almost felt like explicitly asking what they hell was so spooky, but considering that other people were aboard the Merry right now, letting his persona falter might not be a very good idea. </p><p>“Have any of our vessels engaged it yet?” Usopp asked, receiving a shake of the head in return. “And what affiliations does the ship belong to?”</p><p>In other words, what pirates are these? “Sir, um… it might be best you saw it yourself,” Onion said, handing Usopp a spyglass. “Quarter past two.” </p><p>Usopp frowned, but grabbed the spyscope anyways, turning his eye starboard. There, just on the horizon, a group of clearly defined ships were visible. In total, Usopp could spot about seven of them, all clad in the most decadent and childish of colours. Like a bunch of sea-bound circ-,</p><p>Usopp searched for a flag with such sudden fervor that he almost lost sight of them completely. Cursing, he readjusted the spyscope, getting a closer look. On the largest one, sporting an actual circus tent on deck, he noticed someone, standing just by the figurehead. She was the petite type, wearing what Usopp could only assume was meant to be an acrobat costume, but… More worrying…</p><p>She was flying a flag. </p><p>A flag with a big, red nose on it. </p><p>“...Shit,” Usopp bit out. How the hell was he going to handle this? They were obviously not here to negotiate, rather to sink them. And probably also regain their captain. It’s not that he hadn’t planned for this very occurrence, he just hadn’t planned what he’d do once it did happen. Seven ships… About seven hundred men, most likely more than that. According to the reports, Buggy’s crew should only have had about three ships here in the New World, but the reports might have been false. </p><p>Or, rather, there was clearly some mistake here. Not that it mattered much. </p><p>A marine warship wasn’t the kind of ship that any average pirate ship could hope to sink. A single warship could easily handle three pirate ships on its own. This was as a result of the intended purpose of the vessel, the long training all members aboard had received (unlike most pirates who only knew from experience) and the skills of the captains. </p><p>There was no doubt that Usopp and his ships and crew could soundly defeat these rag-tag criminals, but that wasn’t what left Usopp mulling and uncertain.</p><p>How could he possibly order for the deaths of the only people Buggy seems to like? How could he tell him that the reason his entire crew was dead or dying was because he told his men to sink them? If he did that, Buggy might come to hate him! And rightfully so!</p><p>Usopp bit down on his fingernail. </p><p>“Sir, what should we tell the other ships?” Pepper asked.</p><p>“Tell them to stand by. Unless they attack, we will not retaliate.”</p><p>“Yessir.”</p><p>There was unrest among the marines, Usopp could tell. Not that he felt any different himself. If they didn’t attack, they might be able to talk about this, but if they do attack…</p><p>Usopp will be able to explain to Buggy why they attacked. </p><p>A cowardly plan, but by far better than going down and facing Buggy.</p><p>Less than a minute later and a cannonball crashed mere inches from the Merry, causing such a splash that it rocked the ship from side to side. And Usopp wasn’t the only one who noticed it. </p><p>---------</p><p>“Warning shot deployed, Third Commander Nami!”</p><p>Nami nodded. They’re probably keeping Buggy in one of the larger warships, but she still couldn’t dismiss the possibility that they kept him in the smaller caravan. “-Prepare the Buggy balls.”</p><p>“Yes, m’am!”</p><p>--------</p><p>Buggy tumbled ass-over-keel out of bed, realizing now that his nap might have been ill-placed. “What the fucking hell-,” he grunted, cradling his poor hurt head. Maybe if he’d had his hat, he might not have gotten a bump like this. Apart from that, he had to ask himself what the fuck was happening. </p><p>...Was someone attacking? Is that what happened??</p><p>Buggy leapt to his feet, practically throwing his body at the window. Hands fumbling, he pressed his nose against it, glancing anxiously for any sign of a familiar ship. And…</p><p>And there it was. No, there they were! The Big Top was there, along with six other ships, all clearly of his domain. Seven in total. Hold on. He only brought a total of three ships here to the Grand Line, so…</p><p>Ah! That’s why this took so long, they had to collect the full forces!</p><p>Why, that’s-!</p><p>A vision of a certain marine sinking a ship using nothing but his two hands and a sack of cannonballs passed unwelcome through his head. </p><p>...That’s terrible! Not only was his main ship going to join Davy Jones’ locker, but so too is his entire fleet! All his 873 circus-themed pirates! Mohji, Richie, Cabaji, and Nami…! </p><p>If he didn’t do something, every single person he loved would die. </p><p>“H-, HEY! GREENHORN!!” he called out, tossing himself from the window and over to the bars. The chances of Usopp hearing, especially while being pelted by cannonballs (those bloodthirsty fools!) were pretty much null, and still Buggy had to try. “GREENHORN!!!” He made use of any and all weapons of sound warfare at his disposal, creating the most ghastly sounds by pounding his shackles against the bars, bashing his foot into the wooden floor, and finally by grabbing his porcelain plate, the one he’d gotten for breakfast, and simply tossing it against the wall, creating a beautiful crash that made his ears hurt.</p><p>...No response. </p><p>The only reply he got was in the form of cannonballs and cracking wood. The battle had begun.</p><p>Buggy fell to his knees. Slumped over, he wondered if this was hell. Hearing the murder of the only people he cared for, unable to so much as stop them. And-, and he could, too! If he just talked to Usopp, he could change his mind!</p><p>He’d go along to Impel Down, he’d be a quiet prisoner, as long as his crew was spared!</p><p>He gritted his teeth, and prepared for the worst. </p><p>------</p><p>“...He knows?” </p><p>“Yes, Commodore, that’s what it sounds like,” Onion answered.</p><p>“I’m not-, whatever. Continue the assault, I’ll speak with him,” Usopp said, and headed towards the cell. Before he even opened the door, he had to pause for a moment, hand hovering over the doorknob. A deep breath. </p><p>The second he entered the room, he was met with a rather forlorn gaze. Hopeless, even. Usopp stalled his tongue, deciding not to be the first to speak. He wasn’t here to bargain with Buggy. No, he’d been called specifically to let Buggy bargain with him. </p><p>Buggy soon picked up on Usopp’s silence. “...Please,” he choked out. “Please spare them.”</p><p>Another crashing cannonball rocked the Merry. “-They have already begun their formal attack. Sparing them would be the worst option for these ships and our mission.”</p><p>“I-, I’ll do anything. Please. You can take me to Impel Down, you can shove me down Magellan’s toxic throat. I don’t care. Just-, please, spare them,” Buggy said, glancing up at Usopp from where he sat slouched over on the floor. “If-, if I tell them to leave, they’ll leave. So… please.”</p><p>Usopp stared down at him, lips drawn tight, eyes sharp. Sharper and more serious than they’d ever been. </p><p>“...Please. Usopp.”</p><p>That changed his mind. </p><p>Usopp fished out his keyring, containing a key to every single door on all three ships, and quickly found a certain specific one. It was silver, lacking almost all detail apart from the word “Cell” and… and a red circle. In honour of their first real, actual prisoner. Using said key, Usopp unlocked the cell, pulling it open. </p><p>Buggy looked up at him, eyes and mouth wide open. </p><p>Usopp reached down a hand, and smiled. “Come on, let’s change their minds before they haven’t got any minds to change.”</p><p>Buggy let himself be pulled to his feet, and led outside the cell by the hand. He hadn’t been touched by a human in… weeks? Lord only knew. He couldn’t say he didn’t like it, but the reason was forming a lump in his throat. Unable to do or say anything, he followed behind Usopp, holding his hand, looking at that small, caped back. It felt odd, being taller than him. But also right, in a strange way. </p><p>And then, he was on deck. Stuck in that cell, he’d forgotten how big the sky was. It wasn’t just a little circle, it was an endless expanse, a mirrored sea in the sky, bright blue and friendly and almost too much. </p><p>Buggy stumbled, almost losing his balance as he arched his neck to take in the whole of it. </p><p>He’d missed the sky. </p><p>One would think, as a pirate, he’d miss the bigness of the sea more than the sky, but not so. He knew there was an end to the sea, after all, he’d been there and back. The sea ended, as all things did, but not the sky. The sky couldn’t be explored or mapped or quantified. There wasn’t some part of the sky that no man had seen, and that’s what Buggy admired about it. Its great, unfathomable honesty. </p><p>“Buggy, everything alright?” Usopp asked in that soft, quizzical voice of his. He didn’t sound like a stoic marine interrogating a pirate anymore, and Buggy was thankful for that.</p><p>“Oh, um, nothing,” Buggy lied, returning his gaze to the battle in front of them. So far, Buggy’s fleet was actually quite far away, so they must’ve been using the special long-distance cannons to get a clear shot at the marines ships. The downside being that the cannonballs were quite small and the shot usually missed. </p><p>Only one of the warships was actually engaging them, angled side-ways to protect the other warship and the small caravan. A strategic move, and Buggy had no choice but to recognize that Usopp wasn’t a terrible strategist.</p><p>Suddenly, Usopp handed him a megaphone and started dragging him up the stairs and over to where Buggy’s crew could see him. Buggy poked the megaphone twice and brought it to his lips.</p><p>One could only hope they would hear him. “-MEN!”</p><p>Was it just Buggy’s imagination, or did they ceasefire?</p><p>In this small window, Usopp grabbed a spyglass and took a look at what they were doing. “...The orange-haired girl seems to be confused.”</p><p>“N-, Nami? Hold on- Nami! Turn around! If you escape, they won’t pursue you!” he stopped for a moment, turning to Usopp. “You won’t, right?...” Usopp shook his head.</p><p>Usopp spied Nami procuring a megaphone of her own, and it was all-too-similar to his and Buggy’s first meeting, all those months back. It had almost been a year, hadn’t it? Ah, time goes fast when you’ve got things to do. “-Captain! We’ve come to rescue you!”</p><p>Buggy gritted his teeth. “Y’see, that’s the problem. You won’t win! Your deaths will be in vain! Please, this is an order!”</p><p>There was a short pause. “We are prepared for that.”</p><p>Buggy gaped. When he turned to Usopp, he found that the marine Commodore wasn’t surprised in the least. Before Buggy could so much as ask him what the hell they were supposed to do now, Usopp grabbed the megaphone out of his hands, turned it on, and brought it to his lips. </p><p>“We aren’t bringing him to Impel Down.” It was a lie. There was no way that wasn’t where they were bringing him, and Buggy knew it well. </p><p>They didn’t answer at first. “Is… is that true?”</p><p>Usopp silently handed Buggy the megaphone, giving him a nod. “Y-, yeah, it’s true. I’ll return, don’t worry, just… If you stop attacking, this will all be glanced over, alright?”</p><p>------</p><p>It couldn’t be true. The chances of that being the real and actual truth were pretty much zero. Nami knew it all too well, but… Buggy had never lied to them before. He just wasn’t the type. Pretend, yes, but not outright lie. And why the hell would he cover up for a bunch of marines? </p><p>She hated having to believe what she knew had to be a lie, but…</p><p>“Men, turn it around. We’re retreating.”</p><p>“Nami-,” </p><p>“Do it!” Nami hissed, glaring at the pirate. She brought the megaphone back to her lips. “We’ll be at Sabaody Archipelago.”</p><p>-----</p><p>And that was that. Buggy’s crew left, and nobody died. </p><p>It was the best turnout, and still it felt lacking to Usopp. There must have been a way for him to secretly hand over the pirate captain without anybody finding out. There must have been a way to avert it all without lying. </p><p>Still… These were just idle complaints.</p><p>------</p><p>Two days later and they reached Enies Lobby, where Buggy would be put on trial and later taken through the Gates of Justice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Sixth Meeting: Water 7 Pt.1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yooooo! long time no see! </p><p>So, as I wrote in the last chapter, I've now written an Among Us/One Piece crossover fic!! It was... It was very fun. Go read it if you haven't already! It's a lot more serious than this fic, but I mean, it's still got some light-hearted moments. I honestly believe that no story can go entirely without comedy. Or without a moment of contemplation, too!</p><p>ANyhoo, here we are! I hadn't originally meant for them to take a detour to Water 7, but the idea of Buggy and Usopp riding a bull together was just... I indulged. The next chapter will also be on Water 7, but after that, things will get more story-focused again!</p><p>Enjoy, and remember to comment!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Buggy carefully stepped down the wooden walkboard leading from the deck of the Merry to the rocky shore below. He looked up, shielded his eyes with his cuffed hands, and let his eyes wander over the cityscape laid out before them. “...This isn’t Enies Lobby, is it?”</p><p>Usopp glanced between his prisoner and the fountain-like city, filled with water and canals and things. “Uh, no, this is Water 7. Thought it’d be obvious, what with the…” Usopp gestured towards the entirety of it, “-y’know?”</p><p>“Guess so,” Buggy said. “But I meant it more in a ‘why aren’t we in Enies Lobby’ way.”</p><p>“Oh,” Usopp said, glancing away. Behind them, the crew aboard the Merry seemed to be fixing up some things, tying it down and furling the sails and whatnot. The other warships, which had not docked at all, were now far away on the horizon, long gone. Where they went, Buggy didn’t know. Maybe to Hell? “Well,” Usopp continued, “a bit of a change in plans. Have you ever been on a sea-train?”</p><p>Buggy stopped in his tracks. “A sea-what.”</p><p>“It’s, well, it’s sort of like a big long sea-king! And it flies on the sea, and you sit inside of it! I’ve only been in it once myself, but it was so cool! It went really fast, too! Faster than any ship, I bet!”</p><p>Crossing his arms, Buggy fearlessly strode closer into the city. “Sure. We’re going to get eaten by a snake. Makes sense to me.” Usopp nodded excitedly, making sure to follow Buggy. This in itself wasn’t too odd for them, Buggy had always been the more confident of the two (though that didn’t say much), but what made it odd was the fact that Usopp had Buggy in chains. </p><p>To his crew, it must have looked like Usopp was walking his dog. A dog that happened to be a pirate captain worth 189 000 000 beri. If the rumours were to be trusted, they had even been meaning to increase his bounty further, but since Usopp captured him, that was put on hold.</p><p>After a minute or so of walking, Buggy turned around, and looked back at the Merry. “...They’re not gonna come along?”</p><p>“Who?” Usopp asked.</p><p>“Well, you know. Your crew?”</p><p>Usopp scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. Suspiciously enough, a sunny blush found its way onto his cheeks. “Oh, well, I, erm, they won’t bother us. No, I mean! They won’t follow us! We’re going to leave the Merry here, and my crew too, and once I’m done with all this, I’ll return. Maybe. Or something.” Usopp omitted telling Buggy that he actually had to pull quite a few strings to ensure this situation, one of which included convincing one of his superiors that he was strong enough to escort a high-profile prisoner like Buggy on his own. </p><p>However, the question here wasn’t of Usopp’s strength, but of Buggy himself. How strong was he? What could he do? Would his crew attack Water 7?</p><p>Usopp was able to deflect these questions utilizing all three of his braincells, and here they were. </p><p>They entered the city together. To say it was lively was a bit of an understatement. The waterways were filled with bulls and people and food stands and everything was perfectly alright. The sun was shining, the temperature wasn’t hot or cold (just perfect), and the salty smell of the sea seemed somehow a bit less intense than usual, even though there was more water around than any other island. </p><p>Buggy looked around, somehow radiating both an intense curiosity as well as a strange tiredness. “Everything alright, Buggy?”</p><p>“Huh?” buggy glanced back at Usopp. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”</p><p>Usopp followed Buggy’s gaze and noticed how it fell on one of the many bulls in the waterway. People happily rode on their backs with little fear about it being a feral creature. All things considered, it even seemed domesticated! Usopp had already been here once so he knew the basics of how things operated, but to Buggy it might have seemed crazy. “-Wanna ride one?”</p><p>Buggy’s head swivelled around to face Usopp. “-Huh?”</p><p>Usopp smirked. “You wanna ride one of the bulls? We’ve got plenty of time to get to the station. It won’t hurt?”</p><p>“Uh,” Buggy said, squinting as he glanced between the aquatic stallions and his captor. “No way. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve eaten a certain kind of fruit. If I fall off, I’m gone!” To punctuate his exasperation, Buggy threw his hands in the air, the sea-stone chains clacking together to create a sound both Buggy and Usopp had learnt to ignore by this point. </p><p>“If you fall off,” Usopp made a swishing motion with his hands, “I’ll save you.” A beat passed. “I-, if I don’t, I’ll be in for it! That’s why!”</p><p>Buggy scoffed. “Hah, yeah, sure. I’m not stepping onto one of those murder creatures, and you can’t-,” ‘make me’, is what Buggy meant to say, but he realized halfway through that just mentioning this might lead Usopp to realize that he could, in fact, make him. These seastone cuffs weren’t of the strongest kind or anything, but they still sapped his strength enough so that any regular person could drag him around. Then again, considering that this was Usopp, he wouldn’t even need the cuffs to drag Buggy around.</p><p>“If you don’t want to go on one we don’t have to,” Usopp said, turning away. </p><p>Buggy stared at him. Was it his imagination, or did Usopp seem somewhat… melancholic? Why would he possibly-, </p><p>Realization hit Buggy like a flashbang. Oh. “I, um, we can go on the bulls.”</p><p>“Really??” Usopp asked enthusiastically, turning to Buggy with such a hopeful gaze that Buggy couldn’t say no in a million years. His eyes were glittering like a million tiny fireflies, alight with some emotion Buggy couldn’t quite place. Or maybe he just didn’t want to place it somewhere it might hurt him. “I-, I mean, you know, we don’t-,”</p><p>“No, no, let’s do it,” Buggy affirmed, smiling wryly. “We’ll go on the bulls.”</p><p>Usopp squealed oddly before proceeding to grab Buggy’s chain and drag him through the streets. The situation from before was flipped on its head. Before, when they walked through the streets, the people would part like waves, shooting vaguely terrified glances at Buggy, easily making the marine-chains-pirate connection. </p><p>Now, however, they parted since if they didn’t they’d simply be mowed down by an overexcited Commodore. A fair few people gave a panicked shriek as he approached, only to fall and tumble into the waterways. All Buggy could do was pray that they weren’t undercover power-wielding pirates. </p><p>Soon, they reached a little shop Buggy didn’t know existed, titled “Bull Rental.”</p><p>------</p><p>Shopkeep Sanzo quietly surveyed the people who entered mere seconds ago. Had his eye been any less sharp, he might have assumed some youngster stole a coat and a prisoner from a high-ranking marine who happened to be visiting. That might almost have been less surprising than what he witnessed instead.</p><p>“Why the heck would you want a yellow one?? Yellow is the colour of piss!” the prisoner cried, bonking the marine on the head with one gloved and cuffed hand. Although such a transgression would usually warrant violent punishment from the assaulted officer, no such thing happened. Instead...</p><p>The marine whined. “Is not! I mean, yes, but yellow is also the colour of the sun! And a lot of pretty flowers!”</p><p>“Bah, flowers! I’m telling you, we’re getting the blue one! If someone starts following us, we can easily escape since it’s the same colour as the water! It’s the perfect escape vehicle!” </p><p>“Geez, Buggy, we don’t need to escape anyone! Unless your crew tries to invade Water 7, that is. That’d be real stupid, though,” the marine said, reaching out his arms to caress a happily neighing yellow bull. The prisoner, Buggy, observed the behaviour with disgust and apprehension.</p><p>Sanzo approached the bickering pair, nervously wringing his hands. “Is everything to your pleasure, sir?” </p><p>Even though he had addressed the marine officer, the only one worthy of respect, the one who answered was Buggy. “No, it isn’t! You tell him yellow is a horrid colour!”</p><p>Sanzo decided to ignore him. “Sir, if you’d like, we offer discounts to officers of the law.”</p><p>“No, that’s fine,” the marine said, shaking his head. “We’ll only hire her for a day. Isn’t that right Daisy Doopers?” Apparently, although having only known the bull for five minutes tops, the marine had already named it. </p><p>“That’s perfectly alright, si-,”</p><p> </p><p>“No it isn’t!” Buggy rudely interrupted. “A horrid name for a horrid creature with a horrid colour! Come on, shopkeep, take my side here!”</p><p>Sanzo blinked slowly, letting his gaze wander up and down the imprisoned pirate. “No,” he said. “I don’t think I will.” In his modest opinion, it was always better not to agree with pirates, unless they held a flintlock against your head. Usually. </p><p>“Don’t pick on the shopkeep, Buggy!” the marine said, a sly smile flashing across his face. “He just happens to know which side to take.”</p><p>“What’s that, you low-ranked grunt?!”</p><p>Things were getting a bit too heated for Sanzo’s liking. “Sirs, if you’d listen for a moment, I may know of a way to please the both of you.” -Although he had no idea why a marine would even try to listen to what a pirate had to say, much less an imprisoned one. Maybe they were brothers? Two odd noses might be too big of a coincidence after all…</p><p>““Really?”” the two said in a chorus, both turning to Sanzo at once. He nodded and walked over to the bull enclosure, where he pointed at a certain jolly little bull. Green with dark-blue spots. </p><p>The marine gasped while Buggy grunted in resignation. A compromise. </p><p>Once they had a bull chosen, the marine put down the coins necessary for a day’s hire. Before they could leave, however, Sanzo had something to ask, something that had been on his mind since he saw the caped marine enter. “-Say, sir, what rank are you?”</p><p>The youngster smiled an odd little smile. “Oh, I’m a Commande-,”</p><p>“Commodore!” the prisoner interrupted with an oddly proud grin. “He’s a Commodore!”</p><p>The marine mumbled something about it not being official yet, but otherwise made no attempt to refuse the claim. Commodore… Sanzo had to think for a moment. He wasn’t any whiz on all the marine ranks, after all, they were pretty odd, but… He could somewhat recall Commodore being a pretty large deal.</p><p>He took a glance at the flushed youngster before him.</p><p>...Nah, it probably wasn’t that high-ranking. No way they’d let a kid like this run around with a prisoner if he was anybody important.</p><p>The marine jumped into the little seat on top of the green bull, dragging his reluctant prisoner with him. “Thanks for the bull, shopkeep!”</p><p>Sanzo waved to them as they left. He could swear he’d seen that clown’s face before, though. </p><p>Let’s see here… Sanzo wasn’t one for pirates, but he did keep a copy of the news, as well as the accompanying stack of wanted posters. Buggy, Buggy, Buggy… ah, here! Buggy the Clown, wanted: dead or alive…</p><p>Sanzo read the amount beri listed and instantly paled. </p><p>Oh shit.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Sixth Meeting: Water 7 Pt.2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Next stop, Enies Lobby! </p><p>Man, have y'all ever been in that rut where nothing you read is quite as good as you want it to be, so all you can do is write your own stuff since that's the only thing that scratches that particular itch, but even then you still want to read fanfiction? Fanfiction that you haven't written yet?</p><p>Yeah. Anyhoo, next chapter will be Enies Lobby, and after that... well, things are going to get a bit hectic. And I need to read up on what the hell happened in Marineford...</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What a nice shopkeep!” Usopp said, petting the green bull, apparently not minding how slimy his hand got. </p><p>“Psh, we should’a gotten the blue one.” Buggy leaned back in his seat, trying his damndest not to think about how close he was to falling off. Not only was the bull (for some damn reason Usopp had named it “Marinemo”) slippery as all hell, it also had a tendency to do sharp turns pretty much whenever it wanted to. Although Usopp didn’t seem to find the bumpy ride too distracting, Buggy was of a different opinion. </p><p>He didn’t want to drown. That was his entire thing at the moment.</p><p>“Hey, Buggy, do you want something?” Usopp asked. </p><p>“Huh?” Buggy turned to Usopp, finding that they had come to a stop in front of a little water-bound shop. Meat hung in clusters from the roof of it, rich, steamy vapour rising from them in wisps of delicious aroma. Buggy’s mouth watered. “Oh, uh, sure?”</p><p>When had he eaten last? As Usopp handed him a shishkebab of meat, Buggy realized that this will probably be his lunch. He took a bite. If this was his lunch… he was very fine with it. The meat melted in his mouth, something that Buggy hadn’t experienced in many a year. It was tasty. Very, very tasty, and before Buggy knew it, he’d eaten his entire portion. </p><p>He gave an unhappy grunt and returned to silently fearing for his life. </p><p>The waterway in front of them was filled with people and bulls and little shops. Apparently, this must have been one of the main streets, considering how populated it was. No little amount of gazes were directed towards Buggy and his captor. Maybe it was the shackles, maybe a few people recognized his face, or maybe-,</p><p>“Here you go, Buggy!” Usopp said happily, handing him a bunch of what seemed to be colourful waterdrops. </p><p>-Maybe it was the way Usopp treated him. Buggy accepted the colourful things somewhat hesitantly. “The hell is this?” The globs seemed to lack any solidity, swaying to side to side with the movements of the bull. </p><p>“It’s mizu mizu candy, try one!” Usopp said, slurping down one of his own. </p><p>Buggy looked at him, looked at his own candies, and tried one. It couldn’t hurt, right?</p><p>...It was pretty damn tasty. </p><p>Looking back up, he noticed Usopp was staring at him. Smiling. “Everything alright there, Usopp?”</p><p>“Huh? Oh, um, yeah! I was just… no, it’s nothing.” Usopp turned away, scratching his neck. “Don’t worry about it, yeah?”</p><p>Yeah, alright. Sure. </p><p>Something evidently hit Usopp, as his eyes suddenly flared wide open and he rolled up the sleeve on his right arm, revealing a brown and gold watch of the most ordinary make. He looked at it for a moment before glancing back up, eyes filled with panic. “-Shoot, we’ve gotta hurry! Marinemo, take us to the Blue Station! As quickly as possible!”</p><p>The bull neighed happily (as they always do) and picked up the pace. </p><p>Now, Buggy had no idea where the station was supposed to be, but even then, just going by how Usopp reacted to it, it didn’t seem like the bull was taking the right path. It went into a bystreet, ran up a downward stream and generally seemed to be heading someplace that wasn’t anywhere close to the sea. Usopp seemed to be torn between panicking too much to say something and reprimanding the bull. In other words, his words came out as nervous stutters that not even Buggy could understand. </p><p>Not that Buggy cared so much about what Usopp was saying, that is. No, he was fully occupied with trying not to fall off and drown. </p><p>Hell, when the bull slowed down enough for him to focus on not holding the saddle as hard as he could, he noticed, somewhat absently, that they were far from where they were before. Far up, that is. Very high up. Wow, he could even see Usopp’s shitty little ship! </p><p>...Hold on. Were they?...</p><p>At the very top of the city??</p><p>“Holy fucking shit,” Buggy breathed. The bull and his tiny ass saddle wouldn’t save him now. He grabbed Usopp’s hand as tightly as he damn well could. If he was drowning, so would Usopp for dragging him into this damn hell!</p><p>The youngster’s head swivelled around to face Buggy, his eyes darting between the teeth-gritted hell-ready pirate and his hand. </p><p>His face turned red as a beet, but Buggy didn’t notice it, since the bull had apparently decided the time to sight-see was now over. </p><p>It rushed down a speeding waterway with the ferocity and quickness of a cheetah, and Buggy could no longer make a difference between the whistling winds, the roaring waves, or Usopp screaming in fear. It was all the same, not that he could hear it much over his rapidly beating heart. </p><p>The bull made a few sharp turns around a few sharp corners, grinning the entire time, until… It slowed down. And came to a stop.</p><p>“Huh, wouldja look at that,” Buggy said, squinting at the building in front of them. “It’s Blue Station.”</p><p>Indeed, there was the building they’d been looking for. White spires rose to the heavens, holding up a large blue roof, the side of it emblazoned with the name “Blue Station” in bold, obvious letters. Usopp breathed a shaky sigh of relief. “W-, we made it!”</p><p>And with that, the marine stepped off of the bull with his captor in tow, only realizing once they got off the bull that he was still holding Buggy’s hand. “Ack!” he gasped, jerking his hand out of Buggy’s. </p><p>“Hm,” Buggy said, looking at the bull and not his embarrassed captor. “How’s it gonna get back?”</p><p>“Huh? Oh, uh, I-, erm, it’ll find its way back. Don’t worry about it,” Usopp said before giving the bull a wave as it sped off into the distance. “Bye-bye, Marinemo!”</p><p>Buggy waved tiredly at the bull. It waved back. </p><p>Good lord. </p><p>“Come on Buggy, we’ve gotta hurry!” Usopp suddenly said, yanking on Buggy’s chains. </p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Buggy replied, following Usopp rather slowly. Maybe he was just a bit too tired for this, maybe his heart still hadn’t calmed down, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurry. His legs felt like overcooked linguini.</p><p>Usopp frowned. His face conveyed one message: “that won’t do.” Buggy didn’t have time to respond to that hidden message before Usopp approached him, threw him off of his feet, caught him in a princess-carry, and proceeded to run with him in his arms towards the station. A minute or so later and Usopp boarded some large metallic snake, holding Buggy close. </p><p>Well onboard, he finally let Buggy down. </p><p>Among a sea of marines. All of which were looking at them. </p><p>Going by this one glance Buggy had gotten at the inside, the only people aboard this particular vessel (sea-train?) were marines, most of which were currently looking at him. And then at his captor. When Buggy also looked at Usopp, he found the man frozen stiff, paralyzed by too-many gazes.</p><p>“Ah, Commodore!”</p><p>“I’m not-, wait, who are you?” Usopp asked the person who had just now stepped up to them. The man in question, a slim, cap-wearing recruit currently saluting his superior, didn’t seem off-put in the least.</p><p>“The name is Seaman Dickins, sir! Marine code 221-,”</p><p>“No, no, that’s okay,” Usopp interrupted. “You don’t need to rabble all that off, don’t-, don’t worry about it.” Usopp thought for a moment, studying the now-silent Seaman. He was still saluting. Usopp, in his infinite wisdom, decided to mirror his professionalism and so straightened his back, instantly transforming from a young, impressionable boy into a respectable man. The process was staggering, and Buggy watched it slack-jawed. “What’s the matter, Seaman?”</p><p>The seaman clacked his heels together. “Allow me to escort you and the prisoner to the proper cabin, sir.”</p><p>Proper cabin? They couldn’t just stand here? “Yes, by all means.”</p><p>Watching Usopp act like a real marine officer while they walked through the many cabins was… odd, really. Polite smiles and light nods and brief greetings. He was almost a completely different kind of person compared to the one Buggy knew in private. Or was it private? Maybe he was just softening him up to-,</p><p>...No, not even Buggy was stupid enough to think the Usopp he knew below-deck had been some sort of act.</p><p>After a minute of walking at most, they arrived at the cabin closest to the locomotive itself. Compared to the cabin they had entered earlier, this one was far posher, with fine velvet lining the seat and tender curtains around the windows outside. The second Buggy sat down, Usopp right beside him, the sea-train started moving with a great whistle. </p><p>Buggy jumped at the sudden sound and movement, his eyes shooting outside to see what the hell was going on. The iron serpent was moving.</p><p>Well, colour him purple! Usopp had been right all along!</p><p>Speaking of Usopp, the young marine was currently torn between looking gravely serious and fawning at the situation by staring out the window at the sea and everything. Seeing Usopp try to act in such opposition to how he truly was… it was sort of cute, really. N-, not that Buggy considered Usopp cute or anything. He meant cute in the sarcastic, derogatory way, not in the “adorable” way! </p><p>Apart from Buggy and Usopp, not many people were in the first cabin. Two guards stood by the door, and a few people (also bearing justice coats) sat a few seats away, chattering about this and that and what pirates they had captured last. Buggy couldn’t bear to listen to it, and Usopp seemed to be of the same opinion.</p><p>However, it was clear Usopp had no intention of speaking to Buggy.</p><p>Or, well, it was obvious he wanted to, but among marines, he had no choice but to tie his tongue. A marine officer speaking to a pirate… why, it would be a scandal, to say the least!</p><p>Had Buggy been any less clever, he might not have noticed his upper hand in this game. He might not have realized what power he held over Usopp, what secrets he could unveil to Usopp’s peers, superiors and subordinates. If he acted like they were chums, which they pretty much were, if he simply brought out the goofiness inside Usopp…</p><p>Buggy thought about it for a moment, glanced at Usopp, and decided not to even consider doing something like that.</p><p>Usopp was a good kid, despite all the weird things he did. He could have been so much worse than he was, he could have done so many terrible things and there wouldn’t have been a thing Buggy could have done to oppose it. And yet, he didn’t. If anything, Usopp had acted as a fresh breeze, a cool spring in a desert of loneliness. Alcohol and things aside, Usopp had acted as a true friend. </p><p>Even just now, what with going on the bull-riding and eating food and seeing a normal island and-,</p><p>An idea flashed through Buggy’s mind. A single little thought that tied back to a single little thing that Usopp had said earlier that day. Or, rather, what he hadn’t said.</p><p>Buggy was no fool. He could tell something here had been done, that something about this whole situation had been manipulated. Why wouldn’t he and Usopp simply travel with the warships to Enies Lobby? Why would they go through Water 7? Why take a damn sea-train of all things?</p><p>The answer was simple. </p><p>It was a final gesture to him. A final look at all the good the world had to offer before it was ripped from him. A moment of leisure before it all went to hell. </p><p>Buggy accepted this fact without much fight. He leaned back, and gazed out at the waves. </p><p>He couldn’t find it in him to be angry at Usopp. </p><p>What was there to be angry at, anyways? That he went out of his way to befriend an old sponge like Buggy? That he cared enough to let Buggy have one last day in the sun? </p><p>Buggy wasn’t anywhere near cynical enough to think Usopp did this to tease him. </p><p>The sea flashed past, and Buggy let his mind focus on the waves, on the movements of the sea-train and the young boy beside him. He’d gotten so far. Was it wrong for Buggy to feel a little proud? He’d brought this out of Usopp, hadn’t he? He’d made him reconsider his life, and try damn hard to become something. Maybe Buggy would pay for this in blood, but it was still a pretty neat legacy.</p><p>Buggy let his senses wander as two marines stepped up to the table.</p><p>---------</p><p>The two glanced at each other, and back to Usopp. The left one, a rather overweight fellow, did a shaky salute. “S-, sir, Commander Usopp, sir!”</p><p>Usopp squinted at the two. Normally, this is the moment when he would deny being a Commander, but the last time he saw a salute as shaky as that, pirates were attacking. “...What’s the situation, Recruit?” he asked, fully ready to dart from his table and prepare himself for battle.</p><p>The right one, taller than the other, smiled sheepishly. “I, er, erm,” the left one jabbed an elbow in his side, “Yowch!” With that, he did a salute, slightly less shaky than the left one’s, all the while sending him a glare. “Sir, I’ve been meaning to ask… is it true?”</p><p>Usopp gave him a blank stare. “-Is what true?”</p><p>The right one gave Buggy a glance. “That-, that is Buggy the Clown, isn’t it?...” Usopp nodded slowly. “-Then, you’re aware of the rumours, right?”</p><p>“What rumours?”</p><p>“Oh, it’s nothing concrete, sir, just… Just that Red-Hair Shanks might react once the news of Buggy the Clown’s capture is made public.”</p><p>At this, Buggy perked up. The two recruits didn’t seem to notice it, but Usopp did. His ear seemed to grow in size as he listened intently to what was being said. “-Recruit, even if that were the case, it is the duty of higher-ranking officials to decide whether or not that will be a factor in his capture, sentencing and verdict.”</p><p>The left one butted in, nodding fervently. “Well, yes, of course sir! We ‘ain’t expectin’ any different!” He scratched his neck. “See, we just wanted ta talk to the up ‘n comer before he went too high to reach.” He paused, and gave Usopp a meek look. “It ‘ain’t outta line, is it, sir?...”</p><p>“Oh, no, of course not, Recruit. It’s perfectly alright. You shouldn’t worry like that though, I don’t think I’ll get much higher than this. B-, but, it still isn’t confirmed!”</p><p>The right one chuckled. “No worries there, sir, cat’s as good as in the bag! No doubts you’ll get far, just you wait and see!” He gave Buggy a quiet, worrisome glance. “-Though, you should keep an eye on him. Seems a bit sketchy to me.”</p><p>Buggy jerked at the accusation, but kept his mouth shut, which Usopp appreciated. “H-, heh, no worries, it’ll be fine! If I could capture him, I can bring him there! Now run off you two, I’ve got business to complete.”</p><p>The two glanced at each other, nodded, did a salute, and left. </p><p>Meanwhile, Usopp sank into his own thoughts. </p><p>Red-Hair Shanks, huh...</p><p>That might be a problem.</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Seventh Meeting: Enies Lobby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>wahoo!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Off with his head!” the man in the middle screamed, prompting the two heads at his sides to both headbutt him at once. </p><p>“You’re supposed to be the fair one!” the self-proclaimed “Baskerville Left” said.</p><p>“Get your role straight!” the right one, “Baskerville Right” said in turn.</p><p>Buggy was starting to think he wouldn’t get a very fair sentencing with people like these to judge him. People? Person? At least the jury was-,</p><p>“Bring him to Impel Down!”</p><p>“Gyagyagya, join us, softie!”</p><p>“Ooh mama look at the calves on that one”</p><p>“Jerry, what the fuck is wrong with you?”</p><p>“The fifth level, the fifth level! He’ll fit right in!”</p><p>-Not even the jury was any fair here. All of them were dressed in the classic striped suit from Impel Down, suggesting that the lot of them were, well… prisoners themselves. The jury was skewed, the judge was skewed, and the witnesses… </p><p>Buggy glanced over at the three people collected as witnesses against him. There was Usopp, of course, along with some old guy and a dog, of all things. </p><p>At least Usopp seemed similarly peeved about the situation.</p><p>How the hell had he gotten into this mess?</p><p>---------</p><p>When they first got to Enies Lobby, things had seemed pretty alright. The Day Station, as it was called, was this big white building that screamed “discipline” and nothing else. Something had seemed a bit off about the main island, but Buggy didn’t mind it since he’d never been here before. Sometimes, islands could be a bit weird, and he was okay with it. </p><p>After descending way too many stairs, they reached a very, very fancy gate, with golden details and things. Buggy wasn’t sure if it was guarded or if there were just that many marines running about it. </p><p>Oh, not to speak of all the men in black. Who the hell were they? Who decided that dressing in all-black with sunglasses and hats was the best cover?</p><p>Either way, once he and Usopp (along with a rather large group of marines whose mission remained unknown to Buggy), passed through the gate, Buggy realized why he thought it looked weird from a distance. “-Holy shit, what the hell is that??”</p><p>Usopp, still holding Buggy’s chains, turned to face him. “Oh! Uh, see, Enies Lobby is situated right above this real big waterfall, called the Waterfall Ring. I’m not sure what it is, but neither does-,” and then Usopp noticed how everyone was staring at them. The marines, the agents… All of them had stopped to look at the weird little situation. A future Commodore speaking to a prisoner. “I-, I mean-, silence, criminal scum!”</p><p>Smack! It wasn’t hard or anything, but Usopp did still slap the back of Buggy’s head pretty loudly. “Hey! The hell-,” </p><p>Buggy almost gave in to banter with Usopp, but the marine hushed him. “Don’t say anything about anything, okay?” he whispered in Buggy’s ear once everyone got back to walking. </p><p>Buggy nodded carefully. No lollygagging.</p><p>Even then, it was hard not to say anything as they walked over a bridge overlooking that deep, dark abyss. </p><p>The next stop was an even larger gate, barring entry into the actual island, guarded by a pair of giants. Giants. Not commenting on that fact was almost harder than not commenting on the fact that the island overlooked a black hole. Once they got through this second gate, Buggy found himself inside a large city, populated by 70% marines and agents and 30% of what seemed to be civilians. A big marine city. </p><p>They didn’t stop there though, no, they went straight through the entire city, never taking a break, until they finally arrived at what must have been the courthouse. It was monstrously large, so big that not even the giant gatekeepers outside could hope to rival it. White and marbled. Entirely square. Who designed these damn houses?</p><p>“I’ll leave the prisoner in your capable hands,” Usopp said, handing Buggy’s chains over to a nearby marine. </p><p>Huh? Wait, what? Wasn’t Usopp supposed to-,</p><p>“”“Yes, Commodore!””” all marines present, every single marine that had followed them all this way said, saluting. It seems Buggy misunderstood something. All these marines from the sea-train hadn’t simply happened to follow them, they’d been assigned to escort duty. </p><p>Usopp paused a moment before he left. “I’ve got witness duty,” he said, barely loud enough for Buggy to hear. And then he was off, entering the courthouse through one of the smaller doors by the sides of the large middle one. While Buggy tried to stammer a response, the marine assigned to escort him yanked him away, dragging him inside the large middle door of the courthouse.</p><p>Buggy already missed having Usopp drag him around. He didn’t yank his chain. Well, he did once, but that was only once!</p><p>Well inside the courthouse, the trial got started.</p><p>---------</p><p>-And that was how it all started. </p><p>The judge(s) compared him to his wanted poster, introduced themselves, and that was how far it had gotten before it broke down. Buggy currently stood chained to a stand, surrounded on both sides by marines, the jury being stationed on either side of the judge. He sat on an elevated chair of sorts, holding a frankly oversized gavel. </p><p>If he/they wanted to, they could probably squish Buggy right there and then with it. The thought made Buggy shiver.</p><p>“Order!” the middle one, who earlier called himself “Princess” (which the other heads didn’t accept for some reason?), said, slamming the gavel into the wooden desk. Buggy was sure the desk would crack. Judging by the odd crunch it made, it probably did. “Summon the first witness, Mayor Boodle of Orange Town!”</p><p>A man stepped up to the podium, dressed in a checkered suit and glasses. An angry poodle. That’s what he looked like. </p><p>Hm. Didn’t Buggy remember that town? Orange Town, Orange Town… oh, yeah! That’s where he tested out his Buggy balls! Oh, before Nami made him try out his destructive strength elsewhere. Namely in her own hometown. A bit strange, but it increased his bounty, so that fishman must have been someone important…</p><p>“He’s the one!” the Mayor cried. “He’s the one that destroyed Orange Town!”</p><p>Baskerville Left furrowed his brows. “Now hold on a minute, if it’s destroyed, how come you’re still the mayor ‘n all?”</p><p>The Mayor turned to him, scowl subsiding. “Well, we rebuilt it and all, but it cost us millions of beris! Death sentence, I say!”</p><p>“Yeah, death sentence!” Princess chimed, grinning. </p><p>“Now hold on,” Baskerville Left said. “Where did a small town like you get so much money?”</p><p>The Mayor turned away. “...One of his crewmates left a sum,” he mumbled. </p><p>Baskerville Left and Right shared a glance. “-Next witness!” Baskerville Right said, hammering the desk yet again with that oversized gavel. The Mayor sputtered something about collateral damage and trauma, but was wholly ignored and instead dragged out. </p><p>A dog stepped up to the podium. Buggy was pretty sure it was a dog, not that he could see it. “-Ah, Bailiff, will you get Chouchou a stool to stand upon?”</p><p>A few seconds later and the dog was fully visible. It was white in colour, perfectly pristine apart from a wooden leg and a bandage around its midsection. “Arf. Arf arf arf. Woof. Boof. Arf woof.”</p><p>Baskerville Right nodded gravely. “Abused, is that right? Had to have your leg amputated?” The dog answered with another bark. Baskerville Right seemed perfectly appalled. “Why, I never!” He shot Buggy a dark, biting glare. “Execution. Down to the pits of Impel Down, and then execution.”</p><p>“Now, now! No need to be so harsh, Right!”</p><p>“Tell me, Chouchou, what was that about your owner?” Baskerville Right asked the dog, ignoring Baskerville Left fully. The dog barked a few times, and Baskerville Right turned to Baskerville Left, who could do nothing but bite his tongue. “Last witness. Commodore Usopp, will you take the stand?”</p><p>“Y-, yes your honour!” Usopp replied, nervously walking up to the podium. </p><p>Witness duty. Of course. </p><p>Princess leaned in closer to Usopp, giving him a suspicious look. “How long have you been following the defendant? According to your superiors, you have been highly adamant about pursuing him, despite him often being outside your league in different ways. Why is this?”</p><p>Usopp cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, putting on a strong face. “I have been pursuing Buggy the Clown for eleven months and thirteen days, more or less actively since the day I suffered defeat at his hands. I have been firm in this resolve due to both my personal umbrage with him as well as the danger he poses to civilians.”</p><p>Princess nodded. “It has come to our attention that the defendant’s crew is still on the loose. Why is this, and what problems might this pose in the future?”</p><p>“I was unable to capture them at the same time as when I captured Buggy the Clown, however, they should pose no opposition. If they attack, the overwhelming forces of the marines will be enough to handle them, and if they choose not to, they will surely dissolve soon without proper leadership.”</p><p>“That was all we needed from you Commander, you’re free to leave. No worries, he will surely be given a fair judgement,” Princess said, giving Usopp a little wave.</p><p>“Ah, erm, your honour?” Usopp asked, stepping out of line. </p><p>Princess turned back to him, eyes sharp. “What is it, Commodore?”</p><p>“I, just, erm, isn’t there anything you should ask?” </p><p>“And what would that be?” Princess asked. His voice was sharp and accusatory, prepared to call him a traitor at any time. Speaking back to a superior simply wasn’t in the book.</p><p>Usopp knew this, and under that heavy gaze, he cowered. “I-, heh, it-, it’s nothing, I just-,” and then, Usopp’s eyes fell on Buggy. Chained, about to be sentenced to death. His eyes hardened, and he swallowed his fears. “Your honour. If you will allow it, may I speak a few words?”</p><p>“That would-,”</p><p>“Allowed, Commodore,” Baskerville Left butted in. “Do go on.”</p><p>Usopp nodded. “There has been more than one time where Buggy the Clown has, entirely without need to do so, spared my life. Every time where he held my life in his hands, he chose to let me go. I would like for you to remember that in your judgement. Although he destroyed much of Orange Town, he still spared it. Although he beat me within an inch of my life, he still spared me. I wish that we will be able to show him the same mercy.”</p><p>The three judges shared a look. “Commodore, leave the stand,” Baskerville Right said. Usopp complied. </p><p>They turned to Buggy. </p><p>At this moment, all Buggy could wonder was what the hell he ever did for Usopp. He’d beaten him up at least three times, and somehow, they never failed to get right back into it. Even now, he could tell Usopp had strained just to stand up to the oversized judges. He didn’t deserve none of it. </p><p>“We sentence Buggy to one month in the deepest level of Impel Down, followed by an execution, where he will be beheaded.”</p><p>Usopp sputtered. “Y-, your honour! Please, recon-,”</p><p>“He hurt a dog,” Baskerville Right stated plainly. “Are you trying to say we are unfair in judgement?”</p><p>Usopp grit his teeth. </p><p>The jury went alight at the judgement, partying and whooping and cheering for the execution to happen. In that loud excitement, the air buzzing with noise and elation, Buggy met Usopp’s eyes. They were regretful. </p><p>Buggy smiled softly. It was okay, he said with his smile. You tried your best.</p><p>Usopp’s face tightened, and Buggy barely caught how he swiped at his eyes.</p><p>The court adjourned.</p><p>-------</p><p>Usopp led Buggy out of the courthouse, over the drawbridge and into the Tower of Justice without a word. A group of marines followed, and now Buggy knew what they were there for. Considering what happened in the courthouse, it was a surprise they still let Usopp hold custody over Buggy. Or maybe it was more of a courtesy than anything?</p><p>Either way, they descended from the Tower of Justice into some sort of hidden passage beneath, and through there emerged back into the sunlight. </p><p>What time was it even? Buggy could have sworn it had been evening when they arrived, but the sun was still up, so his mind must have been playing tricks on him. </p><p>Where were they, then? Shielding his eyes from the sun, Buggy let his eyes trail upwards. </p><p>He hadn’t noticed it before. But now he noticed it. </p><p>There was a gate. </p><p>Calling it large would sell it short.</p><p>It was colossal, monstrous, so unbelievably big that one couldn’t think it was made by man. </p><p>The Gates of Justice. That’s right. Then, this must be… The Bridge of Hesitation. This is where convicted criminals took one last look at the free world, one last glance at what they used to have before they’re dragged off into their final resting place. “-You aren’t gonna do anything, are you?...”</p><p>“Huh?” Buggy turned to Usopp. “Wh-, no, I was just thinking, y’know. That’s all.”</p><p>Usopp drew his lips in a tight smile. “Guess so. Shall we continue walking, then?” </p><p>Buggy hadn’t even realized he stopped. “Oh! Yeah, of course.”</p><p>He gave one last look at the free world. </p><p>Then, he followed Usopp into Hell.</p>
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